Deidara's Shadow
by RunningThroughDimensions
Summary: Deidara wants to become Tsuchikage just to prove his art is worthy of praise. His dream becomes a life goal for his teammate, a girl with complicated heritage, who will stop at nothing to get him that seat. From academy students to missing nin, will they be able to deal with all the obstacles that come their way? Will Deidara get his hands on the Tsuchikage hat? DeidaraXoc
1. Prologue

**AN(important):** I didn't know whether to put this at the bottom or not but I guess it's better to say upfront a couple of important things regarding this story. I don't know if you've seen that one fanart of Deidara holding a Tsuchikage hat (if you haven't, it's pretty easy to find on google) but as soon as I saw it I was like "Woah, just imagine how dope it would be if Deidara became Tsuchikage?" and BAM this fic came to be.

However...

Please note this has to be a completely different universe because I can't make canon!Deidara a Tsuchikage after all he's done (and I mean, he's dead soo...)

And because it's a completely different universe, things don't happen the same as they do in canon (duuh) so Deidara will also have to be slightly OOC.

I said slightly because I'll really try and not make him OOC but if the circumstances of his childhood/life are different and he has a goal of becoming a Tsuchikage, which I don't think he had in the canon, then he'll have to be a slightly different Deidara than we all know and love. But he'll also continue to be our favorite artist and bomber, I don't want to change that and I won't.

The story will be told through the eyes of my OC which has a complicated life as well, and they'll both have to deal with a lot of things (character growth yay), maybe even some romance along the way I don't know where this takes me (it probably will I'm a sucker for romance).

I guess the only issue I have with this story (apart from doubting anyone being interested in Deidara becoming Tsuchikage) is the fact that I fear I will make him too OOC. Because he's really smart and powerful and when he's with Sasori he's all cool and smirking and whatnot and then with Tobi he's easily annoyed...*sigh* I'll do my best and if you think he's becoming too OOC at some point please do say so, just do not say that about every single thing he does because, again, this is an AU of him becoming a Tsuchikage and that's pretty OOC to begin with.

I have some chapters prepared in advance, but a lot of things I have yet to plan out in my head (maybe even rewatch all episodes with Deidara in it), and I also have to mind my uni work and the DN fanfic I should be writing but instead I work on this (self promotion lol).

That'd be all fellow readers. As soon as prologue is up I will put first chapter so there won't be any wait.

Will this work out? Beats me, but I had to write it.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto but I do own my OC.

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 **Prologue**

The Third Great Ninja War was raging across all countries of the ninja world, regardless of whether the country wanted to be a part of it or not. Fear and hatred that nestled into shinobi's hearts was now rampant - a driving force used to attack anyone who wasn't your own comrade. Hatred blossomed more and more, growing stronger from pain and sadness the loss of a loved one would inflict onto a person.

Shikaku Nara, now a head of the Nara clan, and the member of the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho team was in that war as well. He was fighting to protect both his village, his friends, and the unborn children that will one day, he hoped, find a way to bring peace upon this world. That was his duty. He didn't want his future child to grow up in a warzone, or worse yet, without loving parents and friends.

Members of his family were scattered on the battlefield like him, but he mostly worried about his younger sister. She was...green. Too green. She was a medic ninja, and he often teased her because she never used the native technique to the Nara clan: the Shadow Jutsu. But in reality, Nara clan's legacy was the use of medic ninjutsu, especially medic herbs and remedies. His sister was very good at it, even so that her pills were favoured by the Akimichi clan, regardless of her not being the only one in the clan capable of doing them.

She wasn't fit for battlefields, yet somehow she was always among the first of medic ninja to be deployed to battle. She never complained and was too good at heart which made Shikaku fear she will eventually forget she was at war and only see people she should be helping, disregarding which side they were on.

As the war was nearing its end, Shikaku and his teammates, Chouza and Inoichi, went to the border of the Land of Wind in order to use their Kazekage as an additional watch over the, often treacherous, Iwa shinobi he was supposed to meet with. Unbeknownst to him, while he was out on this mission his sister was sent to the border of the Land of Earth, where her division got in contact with both Kirigakure and Iwagakure shinobi.

Shiori Nara wasn't a fighter; she was aware of that and she knew she stood no chance in this all-out battle between the three villages. She had to flee.

That's when her empathy became her downfall. She saw a Hyuuga member down on the ground, blood coming out of his closed right eye. She went towards him, her palms going green in order to treat the empty socket, when she was almost killed by that same Kiri member who had the audacity to steal a Byakugan.

What saved her was earth splitting in half upon the order of an Iwa shinobi. He saw her, she knew he did, but he ignored her, and concentrated on the Kiri member. Kiri shinobi managed to escape shortly after and she turned to see Iwa shinobi still standing there, and then realizing she was the only one left capable of fighting him in this area of the woods.

She only had to outrun him. Retreat and get to safety. But her eye noticed a red patch coming from the man's chest and instead of running away, she run towards him, her green hands showing him that she only wanted to heal him. Someone else would have had thought it's a carefully devised trick; no way a Konoha shinobi would go and heal an Iwa shinobi in the middle of war.

But the man saw in her eyes that she wasn't lying and he let himself fall on the ground, finally acknowledging the tremendous pain that was lying inside his chest.

When Shikaku Nara returned from his mission he got the dreadful news. His sister Shiori was killed on the battlefield after a battle broke out between Iwa, Kiri, and Konoha shinobi. He gripped the report with anger, calling himself a fool for not doing more in his power to get her away from the battlefield. He knew this would be the case, yet he ignored his hunch and instead left it all to fate.

Before the Hyuuga she stopped to save passed away, he managed to have a word with Shikaku, as Shikaku was curious to know who exactly killed her. Was it Kiri or Iwa? He had to know. And this man knew the answer.

"It had to be that Ishii guy. He was there as well, and his Earth Splitting Technique must be what got her. If her body was swallowed by earth, there would be no way to recover it."

Yes, her body was never recovered. Even the more reason for Shikaku to curse Iwa, and wish that he would one day fight the one who called himself Ishii of the Iwa.

Yet that day never came. War was over, peace treaties were signed, and he had no right to engage in any sort of revenge missions. After all, he was smarter than that. Regardless of that, hatred didn't vanish from his heart, but that hatred wasn't as concentrated on Iwa and Ishii as it was on his own decision to leave her out there on the battlefield. He was smarter than that, he was better than that, yet, it had to be the death of his dear _sister_ to teach him a lesson. Faulty strategies in which every pawn is used to advance farther will only bring more death. Carefully weighing strengths and weaknesses of every shinobi is the only way a war should be fought if there's a wish for victory. He hoped he will pass that knowledge to his future child, after losing his sister to learn it himself.

Except, what Shikaku Nara didn't know, was that his sister's body was never recovered because she wasn't actually dead.

Shiori gave her all in order to save that Iwa shinobi. After all, he did save her from being killed. So while she ran around the forest, picking up herbs, Ishii of Iwa kept watching her, and the more he watched her the more he admired her, and the more he found himself abandoning hatred he held for Konoha.

They were both very young, and so naive, yet it is precisely that madness of the youth that joined these two shinobi and against all odds, all reason, all emotions this war was spreading, love grew in that forest. And as Shiori realized she will have to go back to her village and leave the one she loved, she instead chose to walk with him back to Iwa, her Konoha headband getting lost in the forest.

They were lucky that the war ended, and Hayato Ishii introduced everyone this girl he met in the village outside of Iwa, someone not a shinobi, as his wife. Wife, that would eventually bring his only daughter into this world, a joy to the both of them; Sayomi.

Three years passed since her birth, and the world was enjoying its peace. Shiori grew accustomed to her life in Iwa, but as Sayomi celebrated three years, she conveyed her wish to her husband - a wish to train her in Nara's legacy.

Hayato Ishii didn't refuse, but he said that before she would be able to do that, the Tsuchikage would grow suspicious of her teachings since she wasn't a shinobi. They would first need to explain to Tsuchikage why is a member of the Nara clan secretly in the village. That brought fear into Shiori, because she knew Tsuchikage as a weary and unforgiving man, so her husband suggested they should first talk with Konoha. And to Shiori's surprise, he suggested they visit Konoha and tell them, her brother especially, that she was alive and well.

She missed Shikaku the most, so she agreed. However, they were to travel alone and leave Sayomi in care for a little while.

The two lovebirds did successfully reach Konohagakure. Shiori was beyond excited and she kept imagining what kind of scolding will Shikaku give her after he finds out what she's done. It was all too amusing to her.

Except, their luck drained out. And before she would take her last breath, Shiori's only thought was immense joy that she had decided to leave her daughter back in Iwa.

Because you see, the night they arrived in Konoha was the night the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki rampaged through, summoned upon the village by a masked man calling himself Uchiha Madara.

Shikaku Nara never got his sister's message; that she was alive and well, that she gave birth to a girl named Sayomi, that he is an uncle now. And Sayomi never saw her parents coming back and never learned the full extent of her heritage and the madness that brought her parents together.

Yet what shaped Sayomi's life wasn't her parents dying by the hands of Kyuubi that night, or even the complicated ties of her existence, but rather her being moved to a flat next to another war orphan; a blond kid named Deidara.

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 **Thanks for reading and don't forget to review. :)**


	2. Part 1, Chapter 1

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Sayomi's POV**

The only reason why I never felt much sadness after losing my parents was because I was too young. I remembered them, yes, I knew their smiling faces, yet it was too distant for me to truly claim I had any connection with them. I only knew they left one day and never came back. No one could tell me where they went or why didn't they return. But seeing as I was abandoned, they had to conclude my parents wouldn't come back for me only if they were dead.

In the end, a story about how my father and mother went to her village somewhere in the Land of Earth eventually made its way to me. My mother wasn't a kunoichi, so if they were attacked and outnumbered, my father couldn't have protected them both. That was all I knew along with their names; Shiori and Hayato. And me as their only child: Sayomi.

Just Sayomi.

Without parents to pass you their surname only your name remained, and such was the case with me and with the boy living next to me. He was alone, like me. Partially nameless, like me. And I can't say if he felt the same, but having a small flat by yourself as a kid on the uppermost floor of a stone building really left my young self feeling disconnected. From the people in the village, from my parents, from the world itself. I was up there, by myself, days on end.

Unlike me though, he wasn't bored. He never was. He kept sitting on the balcony of his flat, modelling sculptures hours on end. The first time I saw him doing that, from behind a small hole in the bamboo panel separating our balconies, I waved him off. Here we are in this stone village, abandoned, nearly forgotten, with no trees to break the monotony of stone, and he sits there and models...

Birds.

My eyes widened as I observed his balcony from behind that small hole. It was filled with clay birds in various shapes and sizes, some on the stone fence of the balcony and some on the floor next to him. He was inspecting his latest creation that was standing on the palm of his hand, his blond hair that came past his chin moving with the wind, half-covering his proud grin.

There were rarely any birds in Iwagakure, and none on our side of the village where there was no vegetation. Yet, here he made a bird and he made me remember that birds still exist. In the same time he was both disconnected from everyone like me, but also not like me. He could still picture birds in his mind.

All of a sudden he looked up, his eyes meeting with mine and I backed off from the panel, reassuring myself he couldn't have actually seen me. Just as I was about to turn away and go inside, he jumped on my part of the stone fence, surprising me so much I let out a yelp.

"Are you spying on me, un?"

"What?" I looked at him as he came down. "No, I was just looking at your sculptures." He didn't say anything so I looked at the bird that was still in his hand. "I mean, I can't remember the last time I saw a bird. So-"

"Here." He put the bird on the stone fence.

"Huh?"

"I can always make more if I want to, un." He jumped back up, walking to his part of the balcony.

"Hey, wait-" I ran to the fence, leaning over so I can have a better look at him. He stopped, turning to me and just as I opened my mouth, my elbow knocked the bird off the fence.

I leaned over to look at the plummeting clay figurine, my hand over my mouth as I cursed myself for being so careless. And as the whole thing couldn't get any worse, the clay bird landed right on Tsuchikage's head.

I went white with shock but the kid burst out laughing. The Tsuchikage observed blob of clay that he pushed off his head before looking up, his face red in colour.

"Deidara! I told you to stop stealing clay from the shinobi unit!" He yelled.

"I need it old geezer!" I couldn't believe he actually called Tsuchikage himself an old geezer.

"Stop with that art nonsense of yours already! Next time I catch you stealing clay I'll make sure it's your last time!" But Deidara kept laughing, not paying his words any mind. In the end I too had to laugh because out of all the people in the village, the clay bird landed on Tsuchikage's head. Just my luck.

"Try to watch it next time, un. I do want the Tsuchikage seat but I don't want him to die before I get to it."

"You want to be the Tsuchikage?" He nodded.

"If I become Tsuchikage, whole village will have to acknowledge my art! He won't be calling it nonsense any more, un." He crossed his hands across his chest, looking at the village in front of us.

"I don't think it's nonsense." He glanced at me.

"What's your name?"

"Sayomi."

"I'm Deidara." I nodded. Then he went to his side of the balcony, disappearing from my view before coming back with another clay bird in his palm, offering it to me.

I carefully took the clay bird out of his hand, nestling it in my hands as my lips spread in a smile.

I didn't know anything about art. But if even the Tsuchikage knew Deidara for his sculptures then I guess his art really meant a lot to him. He connected himself to something. He was better than I was.

"It's really pretty. Thank you." I said, raising my head and finding him looking at me. He nodded, turning away.

And that's how I met Deidara.

I didn't think that incident made us friends but he came tomorrow day and asked if I wanted to go with him to get more clay. I was bored either way so I accepted, and we sneaked in the shinobi storage unit. He kept searching for clay while I kept observing shuriken and kunai stored in boxes. On our way back he said the best view is from the Tsuchikage's building, because it was the tallest in the village. I've never been on it but it seems Deidara was a frequent guest because Tsuchikage heard us and came to chase us off. We both burst out laughing before running away, listening to Tsuchikage's scolding as he ran after us. Though now I knew he never meant any serious harm. His appearance was strict and stern but whenever he found us on top of his office he would only yell in annoyance and nothing else. Maybe because while chasing us he could fly around the village and disregard his work for a while.

Sometimes we did that, other times we would stay home and hang out on his balcony, me watching him sculpt things. I tried it once myself but my bird didn't look half as good as Deidara's. Other times we would go to the other part of the village where the mine's were, trying to find earth with clay in it. He usually did all these things himself but now asked me to come along. After a while he stopped asking and just showed up and I would follow him. It was better than me staying indoors all the time like I used to.

Soon after me meeting Deidara the day of us enrolling into Ninja Academy arrived. I was both excited and anxious. I didn't know anyone there. Some kids were already talking about them practicing their chakra control, or how to do seals. I even wondered if I should be in the Ninja Academy at all, given that my mother wasn't a kunoichi. Maybe I lacked talent because of her genes?

Deidara was there too, looking at all the other kids, his hands crossed over his chest. It was different Deidara than the one I frequently saw passionate about his clay sculptures, but it was Deidara nonetheless. He just knew when to keep his cool.

Our Sensei came over and told us to line up in the courtyard. Then he announced we shall be getting familiar with the shinobi etiquette, as our first and most important lesson.

"Okay, Akatsuchi, you step in as well." He said and the biggest kid out of all of us stepped in the circle. He was big, bulky, like a rock, and for a while I doubted him being a kid at all.

"Now, when you face an enemy shinobi on the battlefield, you first do the Seal of Confrontation." Sensei said, showing his forefinger and middle finger raised, the rest of his fingers down. Akatsuchi and the other kid mimicked him, and so did the rest of us.

"Then, you battle. Come on you two, show me if any of you can land a punch on the other one." The kid began to jump around, his fists in the air, while Akatsuchi kept standing there, not moving an inch.

The kid came closer to Akatsuchi and after two swift jumps managed to land a punch to Akatsuchi's chest.

"Hey, Akatsuchi! Are you even trying?" Sensei asked and Akatsuchi glanced at Sensei before moving his hand and hitting the other kid in the face.

The kid fell on the floor in shock, not expecting Akatsuchi moving so slow and still managing to punch him.

"Next time a little more enthusiasm Akatsuchi. Speed too!" Akatsuchi bowed. "I will Sensei! Next time for sure!"

"Now you two, if the battle is undecided, you do the Seal of Reconciliation with your enemy. It's made by both of you doing the Seal of Confrontation and crossing them, to form this new seal." Akatsuchi and the kid came closer to each other, doing a little shake with their fingers in the seal.

"It's to mark you hold no grudges or hatred towards each other after battle. The Seal is never used in war, but if you fight your fellow shinobi as a means of training it is necessary. We are all comrades here. We do not go against our own."

"Next, how about you two?" Sensei pointed to this blackhaired kid with spiky hair and next to him was...Deidara.

They entered the circle and did the seal but then the spiky haired kid whined: "Sensei, do I have to hit a girl?"

I bit my lip, containing my laughter while Deidara gritted his teeth. "Oi, who are you calling a girl, un!" In a second the kid was on the ground, holding his nose while Deidara had to be pulled away by Sensei. Deidara did have the longest hair out of all the boys, but it only came past his chin.

Sensei exhaled. "That's enough for today. Let's return to the classroom."

I walked back inside, looking at my fingers still stuck in the Seal of Confrontation. I really hoped I didn't inherit my mother's genes.

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 **I never know how to write a proper ending of the chapter, smh. Thank you for reading and double thank you if you drop a review.**


	3. Part 1, Chapter 2

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Sayomi's POV**

As our time in the Academy began I deliberately didn't want to follow Deidara around all the time. I guess we were friends but I was afraid I may be getting on his nerves if I stick close. However, I found myself sitting next to him on class more than I could count. He would sometimes bring his clay with him to the Academy and sculpt things over the break and I would watch him, asking him questions when I was bored.

"Do you have a name for your art?" I asked him once and he nodded. "I call it pop-art."

"Why?" He looked at me before raising his palm in the air, gesturing at the clay spider he had just made.

"What do you think this is?" I tilted my head.

"It's a spider...except it's also not like any spider I've ever seen."

"That's because this is my version of a spider. I see it in my head and by sculpting it I make it even closer to truly being alive, un."

"So did the idea for this spider just... _pop_ up in your brain?" I chuckled and he rolled his eyes.

"If that's what you want to call inspiration, then sure."

"Yeah but why out of clay?"

"Don't mind what the Old Geezer says, un. We have plenty of clay in the village." I wondered how he discovered that. "And I told you I have to sculpt them to make them truly appear alive. A drawing wouldn't portray that the way I wanted it. This isn't portraying them how I want to, un."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't developed my art to the fullest." He looked at me. "One day I will, un."

"Wonder how will that look. What could possibly top this?"

He smirked. "I'll show you, un."

I would sometimes catch other kids looking at us from afar and whispering something among themselves. I thought they were making fun of his art so I ignored them, until one day I heard that they weren't talking about Deidara's art, but about us.

Specifically, how both of us were different from them. They didn't mention anything relating to his art and after a while I had to conclude they were probably talking about both of us being war orphans. There really was nothing else I could see us being different in except that.

From that point onward I decided I didn't want to be friends with any of them and would instead seek out Deidara whenever I wanted company.

Sometimes we didn't even talk. We would just sit there on classes, then go train in kunai and shuriken throwing. All of that was fun until we moved on to taijutsu, which I really hated.

I was no good in landing punches. Not because I didn't want to hurt others but because in my mind I saw myself not fast enough to dodge their counter-punch. So getting close enough to someone to get punched was something I avoided at all cost. Instead I jumped around, dodged, and I mean really dodged everything I could. Sensei was at first impressed by me being so fast to avoid so many attacks, but after a while he figured I never land any punches. I just wait until the other person is too tired to continue and Sensei calling it a day. He scolded me of course. I should try to hit my opponent. The point of the exercise is to spar and exchange punches not dodge every single one and never land one. I have to stop being so soft.

I didn't try to explain to him that I didn't want to end up getting punched in return for throwing a first punch. I knew he wouldn't get it but also, I knew it was completely irrational. I tried to work on it. I would tell myself 'okay, I will punch him, this time I will', but useless. My feet would still move away in the last second, feeling in my gut telling me to get away.

Deidara had no problem with that. His punches always landed, and rarely did someone manage to punch him. If that did happen, he wouldn't even flinch, just hit them back harder.

So I figured, if Deidara doesn't even flinch when someone hits him, how bad can these kids really hit? Maybe if I get hit I'll get used to pain and fear and eventually punch them back. Maybe I'll grow angry and lash out. I decided to do that next time I spar. Just stand there Sayomi, don't move, and let yourself get punched.

The kid managed to throw me on the ground with his punch and I laid there, feeling my cheek and chin hurting like hell. Tears welled up in my eyes and I thought how punches are never painless. What was I thinking?

"Ha ha, she's crying!" The kid mocked me as I sat up, my hand on my bruised cheek. I felt angry, but I didn't throw myself at him. Now I had even more of a reason to avoid getting myself punched.

"That was so cool Ryotaro!" Other kids came to him as I kept sitting on the ground. "You're the first one to land a punch on her." I stood up, dusting my pants off and I was just about to go inside when I saw Deidara standing near, looking at the scene with the rest of the kids.

To my surprise he came to me. "Why did you let him punch you?"

"I didn't." I didn't want to admit it. He crossed his hands. "Yeah right, un. All of a sudden you-„

"I guess he was faster than me!" I threw my hands in the air, ignoring his furrowed brows. It didn't look like he believed me.

So when it came to taijutsu, I really wasn't doing much. It would be an insult to taijutsu to call all that dodging taijutsu. I was just demonstrating my speed, which proved to be the only thing I have. I wasn't particularly strong, my grades were good though but that couldn't help me out in real combat, and regardless of me having good aim with my kunai and shuriken it didn't bring me much hope of ever becoming Genin.

Only thing I had left was ninjutsu. If I could do good and powerful ninjutsu, there was still hope for me as a kunoichi.

At last came that day. We were to practice making earth clones. I knew how chakra worked, how each seal is made, I only needed to make it all right and produce an earth clone.

"Doton: Earth Clone!" Deidara next to me said and from the ground in front of him grew a rock, taking on Deidara's form and appearance.

"Doton: Earth Clone." I said so myself, doing the seals. The ground moved up, taking my appearance but even after full-sized me stood in front of me, I could tell something was wrong. I couldn't discern what but then Sensei came to inspect our clones.

"Good job, Deidara." Then his eyes narrowed at my clone.

"Your earth clone has less chakra in it than it should have, Sayomi. Try modelling more in it next time. Like this it's useless." And he just had to demonstrate that by pushing my clone on the ground so the other kids laughed at my demise. I exhaled, looking at the shattered pieces of my clone on the ground.

Okay, so chakra control, right? I just had to get good at controlling my chakra.

I spent afternoons after that class in the forest on the other part of the village, because Sensei said there are certain types of training to help one get a hold of chakra control.

First test was to walk on top of the tree.

It took me just one afternoon to be able to do that. I walked up and down the tree trunk, my feet glued to the wood by my chakra. Okay, if I can do that, I can do the clone.

No good. Again, it was too weak. So I went onto the next type of training: walking on water.

This one took me two days but in the end I could walk on both running and still water. Once again I tried doing the earth clone, but the results repeated.

My last resort was to ask Deidara. I jumped on his side of the balcony and he looked up from his clay sculpture in progress.

"Can you please help me with the earth clone jutsu?" I asked.

"And I wondered why you weren't home, un." He stood up.

"I was practicing my chakra control. I still can't do a clone that doesn't crumble immediately."

We went to the roof. "Just mold your chakra into a swirl, right somewhere behind your bellybutton and then make sure that when you do your seals you feel chakra going out of your body and into the clone. It's not that difficult, un."

"Right I know, a swirl. But which way should a swirl go?" That confused him. "That doesn't matter!"

"What if it does?" He rolled his eyes. "Mine goes to the right. But don't concentrate on that, concentrate on your chakra going into the clone."

I did and the clone emerged, but same as ever. Deidara destroyed it by lightly tapping it.

"You're really hopeless in this, un." I puffed out loud, looking at the sky and then back at him. "One more time."

"Fine. Doton: Earth Clone." We said at the same time. Earth Deidara turned earth Sayomi into bits and I felt myself losing my mind. I really couldn't believe that even after realizing ninjutsu was my only hope, it proved to be a bust as well.

"Maybe you're bad at controlling chakra?" But that was precisely the point. I _wasn't_.

"But I'm not! I completed all the training made for mastering chakra control!" He looked at me, fingers of his right hand on his chin. "Walking on tree?"

"I can do it."

"Walking on water?"

"Also."

"Then I don't know, un."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I'm not Sensei." He threw his hands in the air. "I don't know why you can't do it."

"Tch." I kept going at it until I ran out of chakra but nothing changed no matter how much I practiced. In the end I went back to my flat, sulking in bed for the rest of the day. Maybe I should try some other type of jutsu. Maybe I should be a medic ninja?

I couldn't try myself in genjutsu yet because we only learned how to determine whether you're trapped in genjutsu or not, not how to cast it. Taijutsu was a dodging game for me, earth clones were still subpar, and when I tried medic ninjutsu by myself in the library, it didn't go as planned.

Was my talent that I was untalented at everything?

Deidara was excelling. Akatsuchi as well. And goddamn Tsuchikage's granddaughter that was younger than us was better than me. But I couldn't really hate Kurotsuchi since she was always laughing when Deidara and I goofed around on the roof of Tsuchikage's office. She came to know us very young, and therefore reffered to us as Deidara-nii and Sayomi-nee.

But hell, my hopes that were up before now began to descend rapidly. I didn't seem to be excelling at anything. Whatever Earth Style Jutsu we did I was just subpar in it. I didn't understand why or what was going on, and I was constantly angry at myself for not being able to figure it out.

My frustrations were near boiling point two weeks before graduation. So when Sensei said to split into groups of two and be the first to capture flag from him, I was very much surprised when Deidara came to ask me to team up.

"Really? Have you seen me? I can't do anything!" He put his hair in ponytail, ignoring my desperate cries.

"I'll go in and grab the flag and then halfway to the safe point I'll pass it to you, un. You can dodge whoever comes in to take it from you, right?" I stared at him, mildly in shock.

"Okay." We separated and at some point I began to doubt him even getting his hands on the flag, but nevertheless I stayed on my tiptoes in the forest, making sure I don't miss him when he arrives. Then I saw him, yellow in all that green, and then a lot of brown and black, hair colours of other kids who were after him. I ran closer, then up the tree where I crouched on the branch. He was coming closer from the other side of the trees and he soon noticed me. We shared a look and I understood. We switched branches, him passing me the flag in midair. Then once I landed on the other side, we both jumped back up, exchanging sides once again. We did so because like this, Deidara managed to kick the kid that was right after him, and I landed on my side that was free of enemies, from which I could advance forward.

The plan worked. We won. It was the first thing that made me happy in months of me being frustrated as hell by my own lack of skill. It gave me hope, once again.

Then I heard whispers from other kids, and at first I thought it was just them being angry, but what they said about us made me think.

"It's the two of them again. They're always close but they're both so weird."

"Yeah, they're completely different than the rest of us." It was the same thing I heard before. I knew that. We were different because we were war orphans.

Then I looked at Deidara's ponytail slowly falling apart, and it hit me.

Us being war orphans had nothing to do with them considering us different. It was something else. Deidara was the only blond kid in the Academy, the only one who had a combination of blue eyes and blond hair. This was unusual for Iwa, as almost everyone had either black or brown hair and eyes. As for me, I was the only kid in the Academy that couldn't do Earth Style Jutsu, even though by my dark brown hair and eyes one would instantly pinpoint me as an Iwa shinobi.

That's what made us different. We were both familiar and unfamiliar to them, each of us in their own way. And that's why we stuck close, because we didn't think of one another as different and unfamiliar.

In the end I managed to graduate from the Academy. What saved me were my exam scores, but barely, and I had to endure with a straight face seeing my name on the board as the worst student. Exam scores didn't make up a lot of percentage here; taijutsu and ninjutsu were valued more.

A day before getting assigned in teams of three and a jonin to monitor us, I debated very seriously in my head should I continue with the ninja training or not. Maybe I wasn't fit for one? What if I'm just prolonging the inevitable, the inevitable being me getting told that I'm not going to become a ninja, ever. Maybe my destiny is to be a baker? A ramen shop owner?

"Oi Sayomi!" I heard Deidara's call, which stirred me away from my thinking. I went outside and saw Deidara standing on the fence, his hands behind his back.

"What?" I asked as I came closer.

"Look what I found, un." He brought his hands up front, showing me a brown Tsuchikage hat.

I pointed at the hat in shock. "But that's...Deidara what did you do?" He chuckled. "I was passing Tsuchikage's office and saw he left the window open, with the hat on the desk. There was no one inside either. So I borrowed it, un." He put it on his head and grinned.

"What do you think?" I burst out laughing.

"Oi!"

"Looks good. But you just stole Tsuchikage's hat."

"I borrowed it, un!" I continued to laugh. The hat did suit him though, especially when he tilted it towards his left eye where his bangs were.

"Come on, try it." He threw the hat towards me. I caught it, looking at the sign on it.

"Nah, I'm not the one who wants to become Tsuchikage." I jumped on the fence, putting it back on his head.

He looked at me and I spoke: "We should go and return it."

"Yeah, before he loses his mind, un." We laughed but went to Tsuchikage's office.

"Kurotsuchi, have you seen my hat?" Tsuchikage was flying in front of the entrance to the building, talking to his granddaughter.

"Nope. C'mon grandpa, you promised you'll let me fly today!"

"Wait until I find my hat!" We were on the roof of the building, looking at them from the edge.

"There's no way I can go into his office without him seeing me, un."

"Do you want me to distract him?" I proposed.

"Try not to be too suspicious." He gave me a look and I pursed my lips: "Hey, when-"

"Oh hi Deidara-nii, Sayomi-nee!" Kurotsuchi yelled and we froze.

"Goddamit, un." Kurotsuchi was waving at us and Tsuchikage looked up, becoming red.

"Deidara! Sayomi! This crossed the line!"

"Run." I burst out laughing, running after Deidara who while fleeing had enough sense to drop the hat back on Tsuchikage's head.

"One day that will be my hat, Old Geezer!" Deidara yelled while I waved back at Kurotsuchi before running away with him.

"You know, you'll also need to find teammates who'll support you." I mentioned to Deidara as we jumped from rooftop to a rooftop.

"What do you mean, un?"

"Someone who will believe in your art besides yourself." I explained. "What was that about teammates?" He asked.

"Well we're getting assigned into teams tomorrow." He stopped for a second and I looked at him from another rooftop. Before I could ask him what was going on he leaped forward again, so I followed.

"But I'm sure it'll be fine. I mean, look at me, I still have to find what I'm good at." I said as we landed on our balconies.

"Or you know, I'll open up a ramen shop, that's fine too." I smiled, but he didn't look at me.

"Well, see you tomorrow." I entered my flat wondering why he behaved so strange, but quickly shrugging it off.

* * *

 **Please review and let me know what you think :D**


	4. Part 1, Chapter 3

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Regardless of me being insecure in my shinobi skills, I still went to the ceremony next day. I kept thinking about what I said to Deidara last night; I sincerely hoped he'll find the teammates I was talking about. The Tsuchikage hat really did look good on him.

I almost missed my name being called out. I heard: "Team 5; Sayomi-" and looked up only to hear "Akatsuchi, Deidara." My eyes widened and I looked around, searching for Deidara. I found him standing two rows behind me, on my right, his grin visible as he looked at me. I smiled too before another shock ensued, one which made both me and Deidara look at the front in disbelief.

"Team 5 leader, Onoki-dono."

Onoki-dono, or rather, Tsuchikage, stepped out, his hands crossed and his lips in a smirk. I can confirm that both me and Deidara in that moment thought we were done for.

"I shall be expecting you on the roof of my office after the ceremony." He said and we nodded. I had a feeling he was enjoying in the irony of it.

On the closing of the ceremony, our Academy Sensei spoke: "Congratulations to all of you. By graduating from the Academy you become not only Genin, but adults in the eyes of the village. Always bear in your hearts the Will of Stone - Iwagakure shinobi are strong and durable as the very earth and rock that make our land. Serve your comrades and your village with honor and the utmost of your skill." We all bowed our heads slightly.

After the ceremony though, we had to pick up our Iwagakure headbands before heading to meet with our new sensei.

"I'm glad we're teammates, Deidara, Sayomi." Akatsuchi said as we stood waiting for our headbands. "Me too, Akatsuchi." I was proud of the fact that my new sensei will be the Tsuchikage himself, the strongest shinobi in the village.

"I don't believe this is coincidental. He specifically asked to be put in charge of us so he can give us hell." I couldn't disagree with Deidara, though. That was the downside of Tsuchikage being our sensei.

"Also, we are to meet with him on the _roof_ of his Tsuchikage office." We shared a look.

"He'll throw us down, un." I chuckled. We picked up our headbands and ninja ID cards before exiting the building, waiting for Akatsuchi so we can go together.

Deidara tied his headband around his forehead, making sure his bangs went over the headband, swaying over his left eye. His blond hair was now past his shoulders and he tied it in a low ponytail with a string.

I eyed my headband. I was really no good as a kunoichi. However, the headband I was holding was mine and mine alone. No matter how bad I was in all this, I still managed to earn it. I did actually become a Genin. As I put it around my forehead I promised myself to work hard and do all that I can. I was in Deidara's team, meaning I was that teammate that was supposed to support him and his art. Which also meant I had to get powerful too.

Akatsuchi came not long after, and we went to meet with our new sensei on the very familiar roof.

"From this day forward, until all of you become Chuunin, I am your team leader. And because I am the Tsuchikage, I expect my students to be the best. Understood?" Onoki-sensei floated in front of us, hands crossed.

Well, here it goes. How should I name my ramen shop?

"Sayomi!" He yelled and I flinched.

"Yes, Onoki-sensei?" He had this grim face on at all times, his mouth a straight line under his big nose and furrowed brows. He managed to look angry and be taken seriously even with him being shorter than us thirteen-year olds. Disregarding Akatsuchi who remained the bulkiest kid I've ever seen.

"Out of the three of you, you are the one with the lowest score in ninjutsu and taijutsu."

"But she had the best exam scores, un." I glanced at Deidara. Why was he defending me?

"Math won't punch back your enemy for you." Onoki-sensei was stern, but I already knew that. No amount of math and physics will help me unless I have something to use, or control.

"I know." I said.

"We'll have to work on that. I said my students are to be the best, no exceptions. And no dropouts!" I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Deidara, Leader of the Explosion Unit told me what happened." I looked at Deidara with eyebrow raised. "It seems you have a kekkei genkai for explosion release. Master it and use it wisely and to your own advantage." Deidara nodded and I smiled. He had kekkei genkai? When did he find that out?

"Akatsuchi, you have to work on your speed. As for your Doton skills, if expanded right you will become a mighty shinobi." Akatsuchi smiled.

So basically I was the only weak point of the whole group. Way to go, Sayomi.

"But first; Deidara, spar with Sayomi."

Here we go again.

"It's no use, Onoki-sensei. She dodges every attack." Akatsuchi said and I sighed. Well he would have realized it sooner or later.

"It was an order you two." I turned to Deidara who was already facing me, making a Seal of Confrontation.

Deidara was fast. And held nothing back. I knew that barely anyone from the Academy could keep up with his speed, but I was so keen on not getting myself punched by him that I managed to be faster than him. However, I knew if I lose focus for even a fraction of a second he would get me.

"Now is the time to counterattack, Sayomi." He said, making me retreat and dance around him. Maybe if I had a second to prepare myself mentally I would do it, but Deidara didn't let me have even a moment of rest. His advances were rapid and would get so close to me that I could feel his hand messing up little hairs on top of my head.

"So it's true what they said to me." Onoki-sensei muttered to himself. "Akatsuchi, make an earth wall straight across the roof. I want you to leave them only in a narrow strip of space." He ordered and I knew I have to get out of his walls before he does that, but Deidara's attacks made me unable to act on that. I saw Tsuchikage floating up above the wall to watch the fight, even managing to make Akatsuchi fly too.

"This is awesome!" Akatsuchi was totally unbothered by the whole thing.

Deidara kept attacking, I kept going back now that the sides were closed off with earth walls. I kept going back and back and back, realizing at one point that I'm still on the roof. Sooner rather than later there will be no more 'back'. Just as that thought crossed my mind I realized Deidara made a seal in-between his punches and I didn't even have to turn around to know his clone appeared behind me. I ducked, dodging their coordinated punch, seeing his clone was on the very edge of the roof. I had to get away in order to avoid getting pushed down so I used shoulders of clone Deidara to jump on top of the earth wall.

I panted, knowing this whole sparring looked more like me frantically running away from each and every punch. I was able to keep up with Deidara's speed but it wasn't easy to do so, and that moment of breather I managed to get by jumping up on the wall was well needed.

"Do you see where your dodging brought you, Sayomi?" Tsuchikage said as Deidara and his clone followed me up. "You spare your enemy and give him more time to think of a plan to counterattack your dodging. You are fast, but you cannot keep up that tempo forever. After a while you will slow down or make a mistake and it will cost you your life." He talked sense, yes, but I still remembered pain from that punch long ago. I hated it.

"At least make a clone!"

"Her earth clones are weak, Onoki-sensei." Akatsuchi said and Tsuchikage sighed, his hand on his forehead. Akatsuchi was slowly getting on my nerves as well. I could speak of my own failures myself.

"It's not that I don't want to fight him back, Onoki-sensei." I said, avoiding Deidara and Deidara's clone that was trying to get behind me again.

"It's just...getting close to someone exposes me as well." I said, biting my lip. Deidara stopped for a split second, looking up at floating Onoki-sensei.

"She doesn't like pain, Old Geezer. That's why she's staying away, un."

"The pain you feel when you punch someone is nothing compared to the pain they feel!" Onoki-sensei yelled.

"Not of that pain! Of her getting hit by something worse than that just because she's close!" I looked at Deidara with wide eyes. How did he know?

"Use your legs!" Onoki-sensei said, losing his wits obviously because he was going up and down in the air like a yo-yo. "Your legs are longer than your arms, they keep you away from your enemy while still packing a kick. Legs are stronger than arms, in most cases." I stopped, thinking about Tsuchikage's words.

Was it all about me using wrong part of my body the whole time?

I sensed another earth clone appearing behind me but this time I decided to trust Onoki-sensei's advice. I shifted my weight on the toes of my left foot, turning back and kicking the earth clone with my right shin, blowing it to bits. I looked at destroyed clone in disbelief, then at my own leg.

"Finally!" Onoki-sensei exhaled and I heard Akatsuchi cheering. I turned to Deidara.

"Now will you get serious with me, un?" He had a slight smile on his face, and for the first time I actually engaged in rapid taijutsu with someone. I altered between dodging and using my legs, so Deidara changed his strategy. He had enough sense to switch himself with his clone without me realizing it, and the clone managed to trip me and make me lose my footing for a second. I kicked the clone, destroying it, and I was just about to regain my balance when real Deidara broke through pieces of the clone, grabbing both of my wrists and pushing me down from the wall. I fell on my back, closing my eyes upon impact because of the pain. As I opened my eyes I saw he was still effectively pinning me to the ground, his lips in a victorious smirk.

It didn't really matter to me that I lost. I was so happy because I discovered a loophole. I grinned and Deidara laid down beside me, catching his breath. "Next time make Akatsuchi spar with her, un."

"You still need to train yourself, Sayomi." I looked at Onoki-sensei floating above me. "Also remember, shinobi should feel no fear. Fear of pain especially. You can't run away from it, so don't make your fear of it paralyze you. Or worse, make you unable to counterattack. Got it?"

I nodded. "Thank you, Onoki-sensei."

"I'll lose five years of my life training you three." He muttered, going towards the edge of the roof. "I am the Tsuchikage, you know! Tomorrow morning we'll train in the forest on the edge of the village. Get some rest."

Akatsuchi came down. "It was so fun to fly! You should try it next time."

"Looks like a pain to control." Deidara exhaled.

"Do you think I should get rid of the earth wall?" Akatsuchi asked and I nodded.

Deidara stood up, offering me his Seal of Reconciliation. I smiled, crossing my fingers with his, still lying down.

"Maybe one day you'll be able to punch someone for real, un."

"Let's not push it."

But for day one, I actually made some progress.

Tomorrow we met with Onoki-sensei in the forest on the far most outskirt of the village. Then he made us all fly.

"I am able to fly because I decrease my own gravity which makes me light enough to fly. I did the same to you but I have no control over your movements." Akatsuchi went up, saying how he'd like to learn to do it himself one day, and Deidara and me followed.

"Can't we go any faster, un?" Deidara asked and Tsuchikage came closer to us. "The smaller you are the lighter you are, and therefore faster." Deidara and I looked at each other, wondering was that the reason Onoki-sensei was the only one in the village able to do it so perfectly.

"Right, this is far enough." We went so high up that we were able to see the whole village and the rocky mountains surrounding it. Strangely enough, I wasn't afraid of falling down, even though that would have probably killed me.

"You learned in the Academy that each shinobi has a certain type of chakra; earth, wind, fire, water, or lightning. When you become Genin you are encouraged to find your own chakra nature and train in jutsu revolving around it. Since all of you are Iwa shinobi, your primary chakra nature is probably earth release. However, through training you can acquire one more type of chakra. Jonin usually have two types of chakra. Then there are those who have two chakra natures since their birth, which is called kekkei genkai. Deidara has a kekkei genkai called explosion release, or Bakuton. That's because he has both earth and lightning release, which when combined give his chakra explosive nature." He looked at Deidara.

"Have you tried using it for making explosions, Deidara?"

"I'm not sure how to use it, exactly. Gari uses it in taijutsu, but I don't see that working for me, un."

Onoki-sensei nodded. "He coats his palms and feet in chakra which makes an explosion upon delivering a punch. You can use that chakra with various weapons and by using Doton jutsus." But Deidara seemed deep in thought.

"I don't have a kekkei genkai but kekkei tota." Onoki-sensei said.

"Bloodline expansion?" I guessed.

"Exactly. I combine three types of chakra for my ninjutsu. It's possible to learn that and it is possible to train yourself in all five chakra natures."

"It is?" Akatsuchi asked.

"First and second Hokage, Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, did that. Our second Tsuchikage, Mu-sama, too. It's a work that some often don't complete in their lifetime. However, I am the only one alive who has kekkei tota."

"Is that why we're so high up in the air?" I asked and Onoki-sensei nodded. "I shall now show you my Dust Release." He clapped his hands, slowly separating them and forming a white cube. "It is formed by my earth, fire, and wind type chakra."

He then launched it and the cube went down so fast it blew us away from our spots, and we all watched as it crashed down and destroyed half of the forest upon impact.

That was the only forest we had in the village.

"Kekkei tota is technically unbeatable. The only way to fight it is with another kekkei tota. So-" He turned back to us. "Don't even try and anger me, got it?" I facepalmed, Deidara exhaled, while Akatsuchi clapped his hands.

"You told us that yesterday, un!"

"But as your leader you have to know skills I posses in case we ever get into a fight. Imagine I didn't tell you what my jutsu does and you remain close to enemy while I launch my attack on him."

Well that would be a world of pain.

"So, the point is, you have to get to know each other; style of ninjutsu and taijutsu, who is slow and who isn't, who is stronger on close range and who on long range. You have to be able to communicate with your eyes only, and use your strengths according to your teammates, weaknesses also. Perfect team comes with perfect synchronization - to be able to work and combine your powers to take down your enemy. Before you become a Chuunin you need to train and advance not only yourself, but yourself as a part of a team."

It made sense. If the three of us were parts of this powerful and unified team, each part has to be powerful by itself in order to work perfectly with other two parts.

"First, you need to learn what are your own strengths and weaknesses. Considering them you will choose your fighting style, and which jutsu to employ. For now I advise that you don't train together anything other than taijutsu. Akatsuchi, you will work on your Doton. Deidara, you will spend time with the Explosion Unit until you find a fighting style that both suits you and employs your Bakuton. While me and Sayomi will try to find out what is she good at." Well, he definitely wasn't Tsuchikage only because he was strong and old.

I felt myself getting excited. If there was anyone that could help me, it had to be Onoki-sensei.

* * *

 **Speaking as an author, your feedback is greatly appreciated. Review and let me know what you think ;)**

 **Oh and thanks for reading!**


	5. Part 1, Chapter 4

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Sayomi's POV**

The three of us met every morning; trained taijutsu, sparred, and practiced our shuriken and kunai throwing. Around noon we would have a lunch break before heading to our designated sensei. Deidara would go to the Explosion Unit, Akatsuchi and me to Onoki-sensei, but after Onoki-sensei gave Akatsuchi a scroll with all earth type jutsu and told him to advance in ones he's compatible with, I was mostly left alone with the Tsuchikage.

He had the same idea I did while still in the Academy: try every jutsu until I find a suitable one. First he wanted to make sure I really wasn't good at Doton so I trained with Akatsuchi for a while. Still, my Doton jutsu remained weak, if I actually could perform them in the first place. Then Onoki-sensei instructed me to go and try medic ninjutsu. I already knew I wasn't good at it but nevertheless, I listened to him and trained there for a month. Then the head sensei called Onoki-sensei to have a talk with him about my progress.

"I'm listening, Moriko." I wasn't supposed to be listening in but I couldn't help myself. It was about my future as a kunoichi and no matter what she tells him I have to be the one who hears it too.

"Sayomi has a good chakra reserve, optimal for medical ninjutsu I would say. Regardless of that, she just isn't compatible with medic ninjutsu. Something about her..." She trailed off and I raised my eyebrow.

"Don't omit information from me, Moriko. She is my student, I have to know whatever it is that you discovered."

"Her chakra isn't compatible for this kind of jutsu. That's the only answer I could come up with regarding her failure in medic ninjutsu." Onoki-sensei let out an audible sigh.

He approached me after that and I clapped my hands. "Can I try genjutsu now?"

"No. From now on you will spend your time meditating."

"Won't I be wasting time like that?"

"You can't waste time with meditation if you're doing it right!" I sighed. "You don't know anything about your chakra. Once you get a good understanding of it, you'll know exactly which jutsu is suited for you."

"But, I am good at controlling it, why-"

"You only have a vague grasp of chakra control, Sayomi. Yes you can walk on water but you don't know which chakra nature you posses or how to control chakra inside your own body. You can manipulate it to some extent, but your own chakra is a stranger to you. Time to get to know yourself."

It made sense if I thought about it. It also knocked down my confidence, because I thought I had something going on by managing to do all those chakra control exercises.

I wasn't the only one who got a task to meditate, though. Once I returned to my flat I peeked at Deidara's side of the balcony only to see him sitting on the floor with his hands in front of his stomach, tips of his fingers connected in an 'O' shape.

"What are you doing?" I asked and his concentration fell.

"I'm trying to meditate, un." He opened his eyes.

"Why?" I furrowed my brows.

"Because Gari told me I should."

"Uuh, and why exactly?" I asked again.

"Because every single Bakuton technique the Explosion Unit has is stupid!" He flipped and I tried not to laugh.

"What do you mean?"

"He uses Bakuton in taijutsu, or with weapons. I could beat all of that with my eyes closed and hands bound." He was seething but in an annoyed way and I found that very funny. "Most of them use Bakuton with Doton which uses up ridiculous amounts of chakra. All of that is stupid, un."

"And you told him that, didn't you?"

"I told him that none of those techniques use up Bakuton's full potential. He got angry and told me to go _meditate_ -" Deidara made a face and I chuckled. "Until I find a better answer. And I will. I'll come up with a better fighting style than what they have, un." He closed his eyes again and I shook my head, smile on my lips.

"Why aren't you with the Old Geezer?" He opened one of his eyes to look at me.

"He also told me to go meditate." Deidara rolled his eye and I chuckled. "But it's fine. His advice makes a lot more sense in my situation."

"Medic ninjutsu didn't work for you either, un?" He closed his eyes again.

"Not really." I sighed. "I knew that though."

"Medic ninja are very valuable." He said and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah thanks, that won't make me good at it. But anyway, I have to meditate in order to find out more about my own chakra. In return I'll figure out myself which jutsu is right for me." I leaned on the fence, for the first time thinking how that grass panel separating our balconies annoys me.

"Wonder how long that'll take me. The summer's soon ending and Akatsuchi is the only one who's made any progress." I thought out loud.

"Hmph. About time too. This whole village turns into an oven over the summer, un." He was right. The rock heats up and the heat is amplified. Our morning taijutsu sessions always left us drenched in sweat.

The end of summer brought us a week of windstorms that came from Land of the Wind and over to us. Which also meant it brought enormous amounts of sand to us as well. We had to sit it out inside until the storm would pass the village, and then for the first rain of autumn to get rid of all that sand.

During that week we were pardoned from training, since the conditions were unfavorable, but Onoki-sensei made sure to give us homework. We had to learn not only Iwagakure's history, jutsu, shinobi, and the rest, but those same things about other villages. We were confused as to why we had to learn all that when we already covered basics of it in the Academy, but he explained he's letting us read scrolls from Tsuchikage's special library. There was also this one bit: "My students mustn't only be powerful but well educated. Surprises are not welcome on the battlefield."

When Deidara and I became locked in our flats once the storm began, we found out that reading all those scrolls was really enjoyable because the stories were so interesting, even though the 'stories' were Jonin level knowledge.

As for our flats becoming connected, Deidara put his Doton to good use and made a rock door between us, so we didn't have to get out on the balcony while the storm raged. We would sit together and read while drinking tea, and in the afternoons we would meditate.

The first time I meditated I saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. Now even I began to wonder whether I have chakra or not. Second time I concentrated only on my right arm and saw chakra flowing through me. I had to do one part of the body at the time in order to see my chakra network. In the end I reached the swirl in my stomach and noticed it spins to the left. That's how far I managed to get until I encountered a problem.

If I looked at my whole body at once, as soon as my eyes left the swirl, I would see nothing. Just black painting my insides. I didn't know what that meant until I read in one of the scrolls how each person has a different colored chakra. Was my chakra black? Didn't think so. Besides, I was supposed to figure out which chakra nature I posses and that got me nowhere. I couldn't connect it to any nature.

I became better in meditation and in feeling my chakra, but I still knew my progress was minimal. So I was really glad I had all those scrolls with me to read, in order to take my mind off of things for a bit.

I was just opening up the Scroll on Kirigakure when Deidara muttered: "Sayomi, hear this."

I looked up. "For Suiton: Water Dragon Bullet it takes 44 hand seals to complete the jutsu yet Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, only had to do one."

"That's insane!"

"Explains why he was the Hokage, un."

"What more does it say?"

"It's just an example of cutting down hand seals when doing a jutsu. A testament to shinobi's skill. But it does say one more thing, un." He glanced at me. "It's also possible to do hand seals with only one hand."

"Huh?" I've never heard of that before.

He nodded. "Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was frequently seen doing hand seals with only one hand, un."

"That's the guy who singlehandedly defeated a thousand Iwa shinobi and ended the Third Great Ninja War." I remembered. "Wait, how can you do seals with only one hand?" I asked, putting my hands on the table. "Seal of Confrontation is the only one done with one hand."

Deidara did a dragon seal, staring at it. "So do you only do one part of the seal, un?" He removed his left hand, making the seal incomplete.

"But as I said, all the seals are done with two hands." He made a monkey seal, again removing one hand.

"Okay, but a monkey seal should be the same." His palm was facing upwards.

"What about a snake seal?" I did it, interlocking my fingers. "How will you do this with only one hand?"

"But a dog seal can be done like that, un."

"It's just an incomplete dog seal. The only seal I see could pull this off is a rat seal." I put my hands in a rat seal and felt something in me shifting.

It surprised me so much I undid the seal and put one hand on my stomach.

"What's with you?" Deidara asked and I furrowed my brows, repeating the seal one by one. Nothing on snake seal. Nothing on dragon seal, or monkey seal. But when I did a rat seal...it's like my chakra shifted faster inside of me than usual, as if I became more aware of it.

"I...I seem to be responding to the rat seal." I said. "That didn't happen before."

"Must be because of you meditating."

"That actually does something?"

"So far everyone I've read about did some sort of meditation training." He shrugged.

"Is meditation getting you anywhere?"

"I'm not meditating for the same reason you are, un."

"Yeah I guess." I tapped my fingers on the table, not sure what's happening. Deidara's story held water. Me reacting to the rat seal had to do something with my extensive meditation and learning about my chakra.

"I can't remember if the rat seal is connected to some special nature release or not." I muttered and Deidara stopped reading, looking up in thinking.

"I don't think so. Tiger and snake are usually for Doton. Dog is for Suiton, un."

"Bird is for Fuuton." I continued.

"Tiger can also be used for Katon. Snake for Raiton." Well that got me nowhere. Rat wasn't the only seal not specifically connected to something.

"Have you found out which nature release you have?" He asked.

"No. My chakra doesn't feel like anything to me. It feels...cold and black." I admitted. "Your chakra is black?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I don't think so but for now I see it as black. Or I barely see it at all."

"Yeah you're definitely weird, un." I glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you were weird before all your problems with chakra." He said and I stared at him, wondering why exactly did he think that. He soon closed the scroll and stood up. "It's time for my meditation." He waved me goodbye without turning around, entering his flat while I remained sitting by the table, confused by many things.

In the end I went back to reading on Kirigakure. It wasn't particularly interesting until I got to a part about Second Mizukage.

I've heard about Second Mizukage before because I know he and the Second Tsuchikage killed each other in the battle. But his story was very interesting, more so because Onoki-sensei introduced himself as the one who wrote this segment.

 _Since I met Second Mizukage once, and I've heard stories about him from my master, Mu-sama, also my predecessor as the Tsuchikage, I felt I was the one who should write about him. As someone skilled and powerful enough to go against kekkei tota of my master, his name shouldn't be forgotten in Iwagakure history. Gengetsu Hozuki was a powerful shinobi, skilled in many nature releases, most dominant was of course his Suiton. But what really made him an exceptionally powerful man was his genjutsu, which he cast with his Yin release._

Yin release? What was Yin release?

I put away the Kirigakure scroll, rummaging through other scrolls and trying to find the one about chakra Deidara was reading earlier. Once I found it, however, there wasn't anything in it about Yin release. I kept going through other scrolls, searching for anything at all about chakra natures. I picked up a scroll on Iwagakure where one paragraph said, briefly, how Iwa shinobi predominantly have earth release. Other four chakra natures are not unusual for Iwa, though they are rarer. Right, I knew that. I knew there were only five chakra natures, releases...however you wish to call them. Then what was that about a Yin release?

I went back to the story about Second Mizukage but Yin release was never mentioned again, and Onoki-sensei didn't give any detail to it.

That confused me so I told myself I have to remember to ask Onoki-sensei about it. If Yin release existed, then Yang release had to exist too?

After I finished the Kirigakure scroll I ate some ramen and went to sleep. In the morning I continued on with my meditation, this time deciding to focus more on the effects of the rat seal.

I sat down on the floor, lotus position as always, and did the rat seal. Again, my chakra responded. As if it became more active. My swirl began to spin even faster than when I used my chakra for walking on water. I looked at my body and still saw black but...the black was moving. My chakra was moving way more than usual, and I had to conclude that for some reason my chakra was black. It was black and it moved, so it wasn't the case of me not being able to see my chakra, I just couldn't see it move because it was black.

Okay, so the rat seal did something. I opened my eyes but didn't undo my seal and that's when I noticed something moving underneath me.

I froze and quickly looked at my legs, seeing that the thing that moved was my shadow.

But, did my shadow move because I moved, or because of something else?

I straightened myself up, concentrated my head upfront and glued my eyes to the wall. If my shadow moved without me moving my body then I have to see it so myself. I did a rat seal and imagined my chakra being inside that shadow and stretching it away from my body.

My eyes widened once I saw black strips of my shadow, coming from underneath me, stretch across the carpet and up the wall in front of me. I undid my rat seal and the shadow moved back under me.

I put my hands on my knees, tapping on them as I stared at the shadow underneath me. What the hell? I inhaled and repeated the process. No fail. Then I stood up and went to the other part of the room, did the rat seal and imagined my shadow moving. It once again did as I imagined it would.

I kept experimenting and experimenting because I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe I was able to manipulate my shadow by only doing a rat seal and imagining it move. I did a rat seal before, when we had to learn how to do seals in the Academy. I felt nothing back then. I never felt any special connection with my shadow. But somehow once I began to meditate I unlocked this weird ability to manipulate my shadow.

Slowly but surely happiness started to grow inside of me and with every successful experiment I would become more and more ecstatic about the whole thing. I began to smile and feel myself getting excited. Frustration I felt for months, if not years, because of me being unable to do anything was now leaving my body and I became full of questions. Why am I able to manipulate shadows? What can I do with them? Is there any jutsu that focuses on shadows?

I heard Deidara knocking on our makeshift doors so I swung them open, giant smile plastered on my face. He raised his eyebrows. "You okay, un?"

"I have to show you something!" He came inside and sat on the floor by the table, looking at the scrolls half-unrolled all over it.

"What's with the scrolls?" He picked one up while I waved my hand.

"Nevermind that, look at this!" He turned towards me and I did the seal, moving my shadow all over the room. He followed it with his eyes.

"How the-" I lead my shadow to his own and he looked up from the shadow and at me.

"You're able to control your shadow, un?" I nodded.

"Since when?"

"Since this morning. I had to see why I reacted to the rat seal yesterday and discovered that when I do the rat seal I can move my shadow any way I imagine." As I was talking I saw Deidara's face twisting in confusion.

"Oi, why can't I move?" He gritted his teeth, as if he was trying his hardest to move his body but couldn't.

"Huh?" He looked at me. "I can't move my body at all." We both looked at my shadow still being connected to his own. I undid the seal and the shadow retracted. He moved his arm, looking at me with his brows raised.

"Did I do that?" I pointed at his shadow.

"It seems you froze me the moment your shadow connected to mine, un."

"Hah." I gloated for a second, before another thought crossed my mind and I grew dissatisfied. "But that's not really useful then. I can't do anything to a person I trap if I have to keep my hands in the seal." I pursed my lips.

"Unless someone else attacks while I keep the enemy trapped." I thought about it. I guess that could work.

He nodded. "It's good for stealthy attacks. But, I don't get it, how are you able to control your shadow? What kind of jutsu is that?"

"I don't know. I never heard of shadow jutsu before." I sat down opposite of him.

"Me neither, un. So, do you know then which chakra nature you have?"

"I don't." He deadpanned. "I mean, I only figured this much. What kind of chakra nature would enable me to do this?"

"You should be the one to know that."

"Well I don't." I looked at my hands. "Either way, it seems there is something _I_ can do." I smiled.

"There always was, un." He muttered, opening up a scroll. I glanced at him but didn't say anything. I looked at the window and saw it was covered in dust particles. I really hoped the storm would be over soon because I had a million questions I wanted to ask Onoki-sensei. For now I could only wait.

* * *

 **I did make her part Nara so her discovering shadow jutsu bound to happen sooner or later. Though, she is a bit of a _special_ Nara specimen. *wink, wink***

 **Next chapter Deidara makes massive progress too soo, review pretty please and let me know what you think. Next chapter will be ready in a matter of week so thanks for being patient.**

 **Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed! You really made my day :)**


	6. Part 1, Chapter 5

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Sayomi's POV**

When I woke up I saw it had finally started to rain. Once this rain washes away all the sand that's accumulated everywhere in little humps, it will be time to resume with training.

I was halfway through breakfast when I heard a loud sound coming from Deidara's apartment, making the wall between us shake slightly. My eyes widened and I went to the doors, but before I had a chance to knock on them they swung open. First thing I noticed on Deidara was his giant grin and excitement visible in his eyes.

"I did it! My art reached peak transformation! Look, un!" He yanked my hand towards the middle of his apartment and I noticed his hands were stained black. He took one of his clay spiders, did the dog seal with the spider in his hand, before throwing it in the air above us.

He put his hands in a snake seal and the clay figurine exploded, coating us in black smoke. I opened my mouth in surprise, a praise already on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't see him from all that smoke so I waved my hands around. Once the smoke cleared a bit I was taken aback by the look on his face. His eyes were wide, still looking at where the explosion happened moments before. His face was that of pure awe, and I couldn't say anything because I've never seen Deidara like this before.

"I couldn't bring my sculptures any higher than 3D masterpieces, but this..." His voice was low, as if he wasn't even talking to me. "This elevates it even farther. Their beauty is momentary because they disappear in light and smoke! The explosion only makes their existence more sublime, un!" His voice grew louder, painted with same things I could see on his face and in his eyes; happiness, genius, and madness.

"So, what do you think, Sayomi?"

Both of us were stained from the black smoke but regardless of that, I couldn't get enough of Deidara's face. It was a look of pure inspiration, and I've never seen it so strong.

I chuckled, wiping my cheeks. "I think it's wonderful." In comparison to everything he just expressed, my words seemed so bland and boring. Yet when he looked at me, his eyes told me he didn't expect that answer.

"Your Bakuton is insanely powerful! Why didn't you tell me that before?" Dust from the smoke finally settled down around us.

"I had to find a way to use it properly, un."

"So you made your art into a weapon." I kept grinning and he smiled, crossing his hands.

"This makes them closer to being alive. An abrupt end of their life, in a fashion that's so grand. Everyone will have to look in awe at my art before being scarred by it, un!" I chuckled and before I could stop him he detonated one more.

"Oi, Deidara...You might want to stop detonating them in here." I coughed while he looked at his now stained apartment and the cracks on the walls and ceiling. His hair and face were dirty yet he burst out laughing, passion emanating from him in waves.

And to think his art started with clay birds on a balcony, only to turn into terrifying explosions. I saw his art transforming into a powerful weapon and I saw him becoming a mighty shinobi.

"So, is this the answer you came up with while meditating?" I asked him later as I helped him clean his place.

"No, I realized something else." He turned to me, a cloth in his hand. "Both the Old Geezer and Gari told us to go meditate in order to find answers for our jutsu. But what they really wanted was for us to get inspired!"

I furrowed my brows. The purpose of my meditation wasn't to find a jutsu but I guess I did find one. Was I inspired or lucky, it was hard to tell.

"So I stopped meditating and went to my art instead, un." I smiled. "Well it worked either way. You found an answer no one did before."

"That's true. No one in the Explosion Unit makes bombs."

"Isn't that weird for a Unit full of people with Bakuton?"

"They think bombs are too static and can't be effectively used in a battle, un. But my style is more advanced than that."

"Wonder what Onoki-sensei will think of this." I wiped some more of the explosion residue from his table, sneezing at all the dust.

"He won't call it nonsense anymore. Maybe he even gives up his Tsuchikage seat, un." I laughed before remembering something.

"How did you figure out you have Bakuton in the first place?"

"Oh, chakra testing paper revealed that." I dropped my mop, turning to him in shock.

"What?" He was sitting on top of his closet, looking at the crack on the ceiling.

"Yeah, the paper revealed I have two types of chakra, un. Why-" He looked at me and burst out laughing, having to steady himself so he doesn't fall down.

"You mean to tell me-" I kept freaking out, pacing around the room. "I did all that meditation in order to find my chakra when I could have just tested it with that paper?" I slumped on his couch, my face in my hands.

"But your meditation worked." Yet he continued to laugh at me being tricked by Onoki-sensei.

"Oh, Onoki-sensei will hear me about this!"

But he didn't. Next day I didn't have a mere second to ask Onoki-sensei even one of many questions that accumulated in my brain because he greeted us with a threat.

"Take my Tsuchikage hat from me." He said, floating again while I raised my eyebrow.

"Your Tsuchikage hat, sensei?" Akatsuchi asked.

"You heard me. Deidara and Sayomi are already familiar with it-" We shared a look. "I will limit myself to avoiding your attacks and won't do anything else. But if you're not able to take it away from me in an hour, I'm throwing all three of you back in the Academy!" We retreated back in the woods to form a plan, while Onoki-sensei remained floating on that clearing, his face grim and his hands crossed.

"What do we do?" Akatsuchi was freaking out so we shut him up.

I saw a pouch on Deidara's waist and smirked. "We'll get that hat with Deidara's new art."

"Huh?" Akatsuchi asked and Deidara opened it, revealing humps of white clay.

"Is that clay?"

"I hold the clay like this-" He put small ball of clay in his hand before doing a dog seal with the clay still inside his palm. "That way I fuse it with my chakra, un. Then I only have to throw it and do another seal in order to trigger my chakra to make an explosion." He explained.

"When did you learn that?" Deidara smirked. "Never mind. Old Geezer won't expect that." Then he turned to me. "Especially if you catch him with your shadow first, un."

"What shadow?" Akatsuchi turned to me and I smiled. "I can trap people by connecting my shadow to theirs."

"How did you come up with all this in only a week?" I chuckled.

"If she traps him with that I can come up behind him and throw my bombs before snatching the hat away." Both Akatsuchi and me nodded in approval before I remembered something.

"Wait, it's not that simple. He'll notice my shadow moving to him and fly away. We need to distract him." Now Deidara and me turned to Akatsuchi.

"Me? But he's the Tsuchikage."

"He's our target Akatsuchi! You'll have to go in with your Doton and distract him, un."

"But how?"

"Attack him. You also have to make him land so I can trap him." I said.

"Fine."

"So the plan is; Akatsuchi attacks the Old Geezer and as soon as he lands on the ground Sayomi uses her shadow to trap him and limit his movements. Then I'll move in with my bombs, un. One of us will have to be the one to grab the hat since Sayomi has to keep him trapped." He looked at Akatsuchi who nodded.

And with that the plan officially started.

Akatsuchi swooped in with his Doton, making his hands into rock fists at which he swung at Onoki-sensei, who effortlessly dodged his attacks. I went to the edge of the clearing, hidden by a tree where I crouched down and put my hands in a rat seal. I had to be as quick as possible, even though this was my first time using my shadow in battle so I had no idea how will that work out.

Akatsuchi took his time but in the end came up with a move that turned the tide. He hit the ground with one of his rock fists, making massive elevations burst from the ground. Onoki-sensei landed on the grass away from him in order to avoid that, his heels digging into the ground as a brake. I moved my shadow the instant I saw him landing, leading it down the right side of the clearing so it connected to Onoki-sensei's shadow behind his back. Akatsuchi stopped with his attacks and Onoki-sensei must have realized something was off with his body but had no time to counterattack because Deidara jumped from the tree above him, snatched his hat and threw his white figurines at him. He tossed the hat towards Akatsuchi who caught it before doing a seal, making the clay around Onoki-sensei explode. Deidara landed nearby Akatsuchi while I decided to retract my shadow, seeing it was all over.

We all looked at each other and cheered because we did it, but as soon as the smoke around Onoki-sensei cleared we saw his earth clone standing there in shambles.

"Well well, it seems you managed to train despite being confined inside." Onoki-sensei said, slowly descending from above us.

"Akatsuchi." He said and Akatsuchi returned him the hat.

"Good job Deidara. Akatsuchi." Then he turned to me, his eyes slightly narrowed. I had a bad feeling in my gut all of a sudden, but couldn't discern why was he looking at me like that.

"You two are free. Sayomi, you come with me." I bit my lip but went after Onoki-sensei, glancing at Deidara who was equally confused as I was. Once I caught up with Onoki-sensei, he stopped flying and instead chose to walk beside me.

"You moved your shadow away from your body and upon connecting it to my own, restricted my movements." He said.

"Yeah."

"Where did you learn that?"

"I didn't. I mean, I-well I wanted to ask you that before the exercise. While meditating I couldn't see my chakra properly until I learned that I couldn't see it because it was black. Then I found out I was feeling my chakra move faster once I do the rat seal." He glanced at me. "From then on I experimented and ended up with this. I can move my shadow, even trap others, but that's all I've learned so far."

"What about your chakra nature?" We were back in the village and he kept leading me through the streets.

"I can't pinpoint it. I've continued with my meditation but-"

"You grew up with Deidara in that block of flats, right?" He cut me off. I furrowed my brows.

"Yes, but-"

"Do you remember anything before that?"

"I don't really remember my parents...not even their faces anymore. I was only three years old when they died."

"Well you must know something about them."

"I only know their names. Hayato and Shiori. My mother wasn't a kunoichi, and when my parents went to visit her village somewhere in the Land of the Earth they were killed by a band of thieves." He stopped walking.

"Am I in trouble, Onoki-sensei?" I asked but he ordered me with his hand to wait while he went inside the restaurant.

I made a face but waited nevertheless. He was back after a couple of minutes.

"Right...Well Sayomi, I'll answer all your questions tomorrow. Good job on today's task." He went away while I remained standing there, confused and still uneasy.

I went back to the flat, finding Deidara sculpting a centipede on the balcony.

"What did the Old Geezer want, un?" I shrugged. "He asked me about my parents."

"Your parents?" He looked at me and I nodded. "But I cannot remember anything about them."

"Did you ask him about your jutsu?"

"He didn't answer." I sighed.

I went to meditate while Deidara kept sculpting. I haven't seen him do that in a while, but that was probably because he was so concentrated on finding a way to utilise his Bakuton he neglected his art for a bit.

Something was beginning to happen. We were beginning to shape our own jutsu, our own fighting styles. Our successful exercise this morning made me excited about the future, even though my mind was still full of questions.

Next day, though, I didn't get the answers I wanted because instead of Onoki-sensei we met with Kitsuchi; Onoki-sensei's son and Kurotsuchi's father.

"But, where's Onoki-sensei?" I really had enough of this.

"You've been assigned to your first mission, and since your jonin sensei is supposed to go with you on that, I'll be replacing Onoki-dono. A Tsuchikage cannot leave the village on a mission like that."

"All right!" Akatsuchi cheered and even Deidara seemed happy but really I was more frustrated than happy.

"So, what's the mission?"

"A miner asked for a shinobi escort to take him back to his village. We are that escort."

Suddenly a mission wasn't so exciting.

"Just an escort? Is this a D level mission, un!"

"It's a C level mission! Iwagakure shinobi have always provided escort to miners as they are crucial for the Land of the Earth. You are to show yourself in best light!" Kitsuchi really took after his father in a way.

"Pack your bags and we'll meet tomorrow morning by the exit of the village."

"We're finally going outside the village!" Akatsuchi was right. It was our first mission outside of the village. I smiled and even Deidara had to admit that this C level mission was better than nothing at all.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, with Onoki**

"The blond one?" A man with Anbu mask on his face asked, he and Onoki looking at Kitsuchi and the three young Genin in front of him.

"No, he's an Iwa all right. The girl." Onoki said. "Her name is Sayomi. Her parents died when she was three years old and her grandmother took care of her for a while before passing away. That's how much I know about her. When I asked her about her parents she said she doesn't remember them, only their names and the fact that her mother wasn't a kunoichi."

"She doesn't have a surname?" The man asked. Onoki shook his head.

"A lot of war orphans don't have surnames. It's to protect them from the hate of shinobi who still hold a grudge from the war."

"So were her parents killed in war?"

"The girl said her parents were killed by a band of thieves when they went to visit the native village of her mother. I suppose that story was told to her by her grandmother. But their death being so close to the end of the war must have resulted in her surname being dropped."

"Do you know the names of her parents?"

"Hayato and Shiori."

"I will look through the archive. Her birth certificate has to have her father's surname on it." Onoki nodded.

"You have your own suspicions already, don't you Onoki-dono?" Onoki's face was grim.

"I had Rin check her chakra yesterday." He began. "I had to do so in secret because the girl would grow suspicious. She said she could barely see fire release from all the Yin release the girl possesses."

"Yin release?"

"Even the girl said she only sees black when she looks at her chakra. As far as Rin was able to conclude, the Yin release is dominant over her fire release. She's never seen anything like it."

"Is she one hundred percent certain?" Onoki looked at the man from the corner of his eye.

"She is the best sensory shinobi in the village. I don't doubt her. Besides, the jutsu girl did is proof enough, even though she still hasn't grasped the full extent of it. Who else do you know is able to do Shadow Bind Jutsu?"

"Shadow Bind? But that's-"

"That's why I told you to hurry up with the investigation! They're leaving on a mission tomorrow and should be gone for a week. I told Kitsuchi to keep an eye on her, but a week is all you have."

"Understood, Onoki-dono." The man disappeared and Onoki sighed.

Why did this have to happen now when he could clearly see the potential of those three transforming into formidable ninja? Mu-sama told him to have his students earlier, yet the war and the Tsuchikage business swallowed up his years faster than he anticipated.

The mission will be another step forward for them. Another step towards adulthood. And, it seems, another step towards uncovering secrets left behind by the war.

* * *

 **Since Deidara cast the kinjutsu on himself around the time he left the village, which was when he was about sixteen years old, I had to come up with some other way of fighting for him. And like this I can actually show how his fighting style progressed before he cast a kinjutsu and then after he did that.**

 **Review pretty please! If each of you left only a sentence of a feedback it would mean so much to me :)**


	7. Part 1, Chapter 6

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Tomorrow morning we met with Kitsuchi by the exit of the village before embarking on our first official mission. Sure, we did some D ranked missions before but all of them were trivial and done inside the village. A C level mission was slightly better, but we were all more excited about the fact that we're leaving the village.

As we left the rocky mountains surrounding the village we entered the woods and I breathed in the air and all the green colour around me. The trees were taller and the forest was denser than the one in the outskirts of Iwa, but that was probably because Onoki-sensei didn't blow this one up. I kept looking around just like Akatsuchi and Deidara so Kitsuchi had to remind us that we're on a mission and should keep our eyes peeled on potential enemies.

But if this was a C level mission why would we encounter enemies? So while Kitsuchi kept walking at the front we would still gaze around curiously.

Another thing that was new was that for the first time we wore standard Iwa-nin outfits. We only ever wore kimono jackets but now that we had to leave the village for an official mission we had to dress accordingly. We wore dark red shirts underneath our flak jackets, with Deidara and me only having one sleeve while Akatsuchi had both. However, while both of them chose to wear standard shinobi pants with a lapel over their right leg, I opted for a shorter version of said pants. And, of course, our Iwagakure headbands were on our foreheads, proudly displayed.

Kitsuchi told us the miner who asked for our escort isn't in Iwagakure but in a village close by. By noon we reached the village in question and were now eating our lunchboxes in the park, waiting for the miner and listening to Kitsuchi's detailing of the mission. The miner wanted an escort because he was a renowned expert on mining silver. Silver was very valuable as it was used in weapons but also in technology. Since both of these things were profitable, hitting a silver spot was better than mining coal and the villagers contracted him to help them.

"You must be Iwagakure shinobi." A man came from behind Kitsuchi, wearing a brown kimono with matching pants. He had a hat on his head and by the wrinkles on his face and the big beard, I would guess he was in his mid-fifties.

"My name is Takumi. I am the one who asked for your escort." He and Kitsuchi exchanged scrolls and both of them soon nodded, satisfied that both sides were who they said they were.

"If it's not too much to ask, I would like to start the journey. If we keep up the pace we should be in the next village by nightfall." We stood up.

Kitsuchi looked at us but we were already packed and ready so he nodded.

"Lead the way." We made a formation around Takumi; Akatsuchi on the rear, Kitsuchi at the front, and Deidara and me on each side of Takumi.

"What's the name of the village we're going to?" Akatsuchi asked as we walked.

"The mining village of Akamira is known for their coal mine's but have discovered silver in one of their new ones. They asked me to come and train them in mining silver."

"So you're a teacher?" Takumi nodded. "I live in the village of Iwate on the east side of the Land of Earth. Akamira is on the west side, at the foothill of the mountain where their mine's are."

"I've heard of Akamira. The forest on the other side of the mountain had one of the best dojos before the war. Iwagakure shinobi used to go there for additional taijutsu training." Kitsuchi said.

"I'm afraid the dojos aren't in the forest anymore. They switched with the monks who had their shrines on the mountain but grew tired of the mine's disrupting their prayers." He chuckled. "The earth there is very rich in a way that anyone can find something for themselves in Akamira, or around it. The mine's of Akamira are rich in coal and in silver, as it seems. The mountain and the forest of Akamira are rich in spirit. There are hot springs south of Akamira. The only thing they lack is peace."

"Peace?" I asked and the man laughed. "Oh I meant peace from workers mining and the tourists coming in."

"So how far away is Akamira from Iwagakure?" I wonder how long will we be away from the village.

"It will take us three days to reach it." Kitsuchi turned to warn us.

"I know you young shinobi must be eager to get going but I'm afraid I can't run in my age." Takumi added.

"It's less than two days if we run." Kitsuchi casually mentioning that told me we'll definitely be running back.

We reached the next village just as night fell, like Takumi predicted. We ate at the inn before going to bed. In the morning we resumed with walking.

Takumi's plan was simple yet well thought out. At the end of each day we were supposed to reach another village where we would take a break over the night. Repeat that two times and on the third day we would reach Akamira.

Except he couldn't have known we were to find path to one of the villages blocked by a river that doubled in size because of the rain. We had to go the other way round in order to find the bridge and that took us down a different path than Takumi planned. Now it was impossible to reach the next village by nightfall.

So as night fell we decided to camp out in the woods. Shinobi were used to camping anyway but Takumi seemed very uneasy. We lit a fire, had a meal, and decided upon teams for the lookout over the night. Yet still, Takumi kept looking around as if he was very afraid of something.

We all noticed it but thought he was like that because he wasn't used to camping. Kitsuchi put me and Deidara on first watch and the three of them went to sleep.

Deidara and I sat by the fire, for a while being one hundred percent on the lookout, but as hours ticked by we relaxed. He began to sculpt birds out of his clay while I meditated, keeping an eye on the area.

What I felt wasn't chakra but a group of people, maybe fifteen or so, slowly coming closer to us. As if they were moths drawn to our campfire. I opened my eyes and found Deidara looking at me, his hand holding one of the clay birds. He heard them too. He pointed at himself with his thumb and then at the forest behind him. Then he pointed at me and at the sleeping Kitsuchi. I nodded ever so slightly but before we could move out I saw four men exiting from the forest behind Deidara, wielding swords and charging at him. I made a rat seal and trapped them all in my shadow even though Deidara already jumped away; throwing his bird at them and making it explode.

Explosion woke up Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi, but it also stirred other men from the forest to come at us. I turned around and trapped three men who were coming for Takumi, Kitsuchi soon knocking them unconscious with his rock fists.

"Good work Sayomi. You stay here and protect Takumi." He turned around to see Deidara already took care of the four men on his side. "I sensed more of them, un."

"Me too." I said.

"Akatsuchi you go with Deidara that way. I'll check here." They separated while I remained near Takumi.

"Could you please move closer to the fire?" I asked, because that way I could see shadows move if anyone were to attack me from behind.

"I knew we had to go to the village over the night." Takumi said and I glanced at him.

"What do you mean?"

"There's this huge gang of thieves that have been rampaging in this area. Every village knows of them yet are unable to fight them off."

"Why didn't you ask for our help? Our job as Iwa shinobi is to keep the Land of Earth safe!" Just as I said that three more men exited the forest in front of me.

"Come on girl, just give us the man and we'll leave you alone." I wasted no time on doing the rat seal and trapping them in my shadow.

"Hey, I can't move!" One of them yelled.

"Neither can I!"

"She must have done something to us. Goddamn shinobi bastards." I narrowed my eyes but didn't move an inch.

Then from the corner of my right eye I spotted another man sneaking up on the tree. He had a bow and arrow but before I could extend my shadow up the tree, he had already sent one of the arrows towards me.

Before I could dodge it, however, a yellow flash appeared in front of me, blocking the arrow with a kunai.

I smiled, recognizing Deidara's blond hair. He threw two bombs at the men trapped in my shadow while Akatsuchi took care of the one on the tree. Then Kitsuchi added them to the hump of unconscious thieves he accumulated.

"Is that all of them?" I asked and Akatsuchi shook his head.

"Some of them fled but we decided to come back, un."

"Takumi-san didn't tell us the whole story." I added and we all looked at still afraid Takumi.

He told them the same thing he said to me. But after Kitsuchi asked the same question I did, Takumi sighed. "Villages have been blackmailed by them. We are to give them monthly fees and not ask for shinobi help and in turn they'll leave the villages on the west side alone. They cannot risk getting destroyed by them because their only source of income is from tourists and merchants. No one dares to travel at night anymore, and even going alone during the day puts you at risk. That's why I contracted you. They kidnap travelers and blackmail the villages or their families."

"How big is that gang?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Some say it's comprised of fifty men. They all wield weapons."

Kitsuchi sighed. "Well, then this isn't a C but a B rank mission. That complicates things a bit."

"My plan was constructed so it wouldn't come to this. Thank you for defending me."

"It's not over yet. We still have to take you to Akamira." Akatsuchi said. I went to Deidara who was by the pile of unconscious men, observing them.

"What are you looking for?"

"One of the men who ran away as I attacked had a headband around his arm. But none of these men have it, un." Kitsuchi came close.

"So you've seen it too, Deidara."

"You also?" I asked. "Well, which headband was it?"

"I saw that symbol in one of the scrolls Old Geezer made us read. If I'm not mistaken, the man had a symbol for Ishiagakure, un." Kitsuchi nodded.

"Ishiagakure should be further down south from where we are." I said, thinking. "But why are they here? Are they attacking us?" Kitsuchi shook his head as Akatsuchi joined us. "No, their symbols were crossed out. That means they abandoned their village and are now rogue ninja."

"Rogue ninja?" Akatsuchi asked. "There were Ishiagakure shinobi among the men who attacked, but they kept themselves hidden just in case. Both Deidara and I saw them so there's at least two of them. We'll have to take care of this gang, no matter what the rank of the mission is. We can't have rogue Ishiagakure shinobi tormenting villages Iwagakure shinobi are supposed to be protecting. It's humiliating for us as shinobi." We all agreed on that.

"Are we going to interrogate them?" I asked, looking at six men lying on the ground.

"In the morning. Akatsuchi and I will take this shift. Good work Sayomi, Deidara. Takumi-san, please get some rest as well. We'll have to get to the next village tomorrow."

In the morning we tried to interrogate the men but they all repeated the same thing. They were all delinquents or wanderers that have been contracted by a group of men to wreak havoc in this area of the Land. When we asked them to describe the men who contracted them, they all said one common feature; a shinobi headband. When Deidara drew the Ishiagakure symbol on the ground they all nodded.

As for the group of men, it certainly wasn't made up of fifty men. Maybe twenty were in their ranks, but the most powerful ones were the rogue Ishiagakure shinobi who orchestrated it all. When Kitsuchi asked were they hiding in Akamira they all shook their heads and said they rarely visit Akamira, because it's too far. Their camp was in the area near a town called Iwaizumi. Once the interrogation was done, Kitsuchi summoned a meeting on the other side of the camp, ordering me to keep the men in my shadow while we talked.

"This is too big of a problem for us to tackle on our own. All of you are mighty Genin, but still only Genin. The four of us cannot barge in and deal with these men, especially not with rogue Ishiagakure shinobi. We need backup." He made a seal.

"Summoning jutsu!" A mole appeared from underneath the ground, wearing an Iwa headband. Kituschi wrote a note on the scroll before strapping it on the mole. "Take that to the Tsuchikage, Doro." The mole disappeared in the ground and I became very interested in acquiring a summoning animal for myself.

"However, we cannot let these men go. And we have to check if they're lying about their hideout. At the same time, we cannot do that because our official mission hasn't been completed." We all looked at Takumi eating breakfast by the remains of the fire.

"Are you saying we should split up, un?"

"I see no other choice. We have to complete our mission but we also have to take care of this gang. We have to split up for the time being. Deidara, you and Sayomi will continue to Akamira with Takumi. You only have one day of travel left and as soon as you reach Akamira you will head to Iwaizumi. The men said there should be no Ishiagakure members in Akamira. In case someone tries to attack you, you two make a good team and should be able to take care of them." Deidara smirked and I tried not to blush.

"Akatsuchi and I will head with our prisoners towards Iwaizumi where we'll hopefully meet with the backup team. Akatsuchi can handle the weight of these men considering his stature. Because we'll be taking them with us there's a higher chance we'll get attacked first. So by all accounts, the three of you should be left alone." We all nodded.

"I suggest we get going. As soon as Doro returns I'll send him over to you so you can report your whereabouts. Now pack." Kitsuchi went over to talk to Takumi while we looked at our already packed bags.

"Take care you two. I hope nothing happens to you, now that you're left on your own." Akatsuchi said.

"Hah! Don't forget I took care of more attackers than you did, un." Deidara crossed his hands and I rolled my eyes, smile escaping my lips.

"But now I'm going with Kitsuchi on an A rank mission." Akatsuchi argued back.

"Who said that's an A rank?"

"Well I'll definitely beat up more enemies than you two will." Oh now he dragged me in the equation too so my eyes narrowed.

"Our mission is more dangerous because we don't have Kitsuchi defending us." I joined in and Deidara smirked.

"Akatsuchi, let's go!" Kitsuchi called and Takumi came closer to us.

"Still, good luck Akatsuchi." I said quickly, just in case something really happens. He waved but I saw he thought the same, even though we had to have a little bit of a competition among ourselves.

"We should get going too, un." I nodded and that's how we separated from Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi who grabbed the men we captured in their rock fists, setting their route to Iwaizumi. Deidara and I, now the only escort of Takumi, continued to Akamira, morning chirps of birds signalling the beginning of a new day.

* * *

 **It's hard to construct missions.**

 **Thank you for reading (even though y'all don't review at all, smh).**


	8. Part 1, Chapter 7

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Sayomi's POV**

I was a bit afraid. I mean, who wouldn't be? First time outside the village and I have to separate from my jonin sensei and try not to get killed by rogue Ishiagakure shinobi. Hell of a mission this has become. I wondered whether the rank now came up to A or was it still B?

Deidara and I walked on each side of Takumi who said we should soon exit the forest path and continue down the road made for carriages. That would put us out in the open but also make it easier for us to spot enemies.

I looked at Deidara's ponytail going down his back, his hair getting longer and longer throughout the years of me knowing him. He usually kept it tied in a low ponytail, bangs over his left eye. My own hair, though long, was kept in a three strand braid going down my back, a hair strand or two hanging loose near my ears. I chuckled at the thought how both of us had long hair yet each in their own way.

Also, the thought kept popping up in my head ever since we separated from Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi. How Kitsuchi said Deidara and I make a good team. I was proud of myself for handling the situation so well yesterday. I wasn't afraid for even a second, which was weird now that I thought about it. Maybe it had something to do with me casting my jutsu from afar and not having to get up close and personal with my enemies. I knew I only have to capture them and Deidara will come in and attack, because that was what he did the best. Why did I depend so much on Deidara? Because I knew he was strong and fearless. How did I know Deidara will swoop in when I need him? I didn't. I hoped. And I was right.

But why only the two of us made a good team? Akatsuchi was there too, yet Kitsuchi purposely said 'you two make a good team'. Maybe he said that to ease us since we were continuing our mission without them.

We finally exited the forest and hit the road. After half an hour of walking we found ourselves at the entrance of a canyon.

Both Deidara and I stopped, knowing how risky entering a canyon can be. Especially in our situation.

"Oi, is there any other way to Akamira, un?"

"There is but this one is the fastest." Takumi continued ahead while I looked at Deidara. "But if carriages go this way, that means-"

"It's twice the target."

"Hey, Takumi-san, how long will it take for us to take the long way round?" I asked.

"The other path is blocked by the river we already bypassed yesterday. From our current location it's impossible to switch roads." Takumi saw us being uneasy. "This road is used for transporting coal so it's the fastest. It leads straight to the village." I turned back to Deidara.

"We don't have a choice. We have to escort Takumi as soon as possible in order to meet with Kitsuchi, un."

"Thought so." I sighed and we went after Takumi, taking our positions from before. I kept looking at the canyon on my left spreading high up in the air, trying to see if there was anyone up there. But no, there was just rock. Those rock walls of the canyon soon became a constant as we spent hours walking through it.

Deidara and me remained on lookout throughout the trip, but half of my brain was still occupied with same thoughts as before. In order to ease myself a little I tried to strike up a bit of conversation.

"Do you know how to get a summoning animal?" I looked at Deidara.

"I think you have to sign a contract with the animal first."

"How do you find an animal in the first place?" He shrugged. "I have to find a summoning animal that's a big bird on which I could fly on. That way I could be faster than the Old Geezer, un." I chuckled.

"I would be satisfied with a mole like Doro."

"You need something connected to your shadow jutsu." He put a finger on his chin. "Maybe an owl?"

"Owls are nice." Then he snapped his fingers.

"A bat, un."

"A bat? Owls are way better." He scooped a bit of clay from his pouch and I turned my head the other way, looking at the canyon.

"Bats are more like you." I looked at him and he showed me a clay bat he made. Except his version of the bat was cuter than an actual bat.

"Why?" But he didn't answer, instead turning back to the figurine and adding details. I dropped it, seeing Takumi was listening to our conversation with a slight smile on his face.

Despite us being one hundred percent on alert, ready at every second to jump and draw our kunai, nothing happened. A couple of times Deidara would stop and look around, saying he was certain he saw someone or _felt_ someone watching us. Each time we would stop and assess the situation, yet we couldn't see anyone, and no one attacked us.

So we continued. As sun began to set we thought about making a camp but Takumi assured us that Akamira was very close.

"You see the end of the canyon, don't you? The road continues through small stretch of woods leading directly to the streets of Akamira. It would be pointless to camp so close to the village."

"How long will it take us through the woods?" Deidara asked.

"Maybe an hour." But first we had to make our way to the woods.

"So we should be in Akamira by midnight." I tried.

"At the most."

"Fine, then we can keep this up for a while longer, un."

After sunset we became even more alert. I was walking with hands ready to form a rat seal at any giving moment while Deidara fused some more of his clay figurines with chakra, keeping one clay spider in his hand.

It had to be because it was our first mission, but we were very much on the edge. Regardless of Kitsuchi telling us how we should be left alone by all accounts. They were the ones carrying something more valuable than one miner, to the gang at least, but Deidara and I didn't want to screw up in any way. At one moment I almost prayed for someone to attack us just so I could relieve some of this tension. However, we exited the canyon and entered the forest without any problems. Deidara climbed a tree after a couple of minutes, informing us that the village is close by. Seeing as our mission was close to its end I began to relax.

I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as we stepped on the street of Akamira lit by blue moonlight. Deidara stretched and even Takumi put more life in his steps.

"I'm taking you to the inn I will be staying at."

"We'll only rest for a bit. We have to meet with others in Iwaizumi, un." Takumi nodded. "Then at least allow me to treat you to a meal." I smiled at that. I could feel myself getting hungry since long ago. We didn't have a lunch break so a dinner was well welcomed.

Takumi was maybe five steps away from the inn and I was right behind him. Then Deidara yelled "Sayomi!" and I instantly knew we were under attack. I pushed Takumi through the doors of the inn, turning around and seeing Deidara blocking shuriken, one cutting his thigh. I looked up at the roof from which the shuriken were coming from but I couldn't see anyone.

"Where are they?"

"I can't see them, un." The shuriken now came from the roof on our right and we jumped away. We got up on the roof of the inn and looked around but still couldn't see who was attacking us.

"Genjutsu?" I tried.

"I don't think so." He took a clay spider out of his pouch but I stopped him. "You can't just throw them around, you'll blow up the houses!" He gritted his teeth but then another round of shuriken made us transfer to a different roof.

"How else am I supposed to check if this is or isn't a genjutsu?"

"You don't even know where the attacker is! You would only reveal your jutsu to them." I argued, both of us blocking and dodging some more shuriken.

"Fine, then we'll first drive the attacker out of the village, un." He looked at me. "If you see anyone try to catch them in your shadow." I nodded before we both bolted across roofs to the foot of the mountain. Shuriken kept coming at us and we soon heard someone coming after us, sound of footsteps on roof tiles proof enough.

"I think there's only one-" Just as I said that someone's foot met with my stomach, kicking me off the roof. I lost all air in my lungs as I landed on my back, pain coursing through my spine. I bit my lip as hard as I could in order to force myself to sit up and not continue to lay down in pain. I leaned on the wall, my hand in a rat seal but I didn't see anyone near me.

"Sayomi!" I saw Deidara jumping from rooftop to rooftop but shuriken blocked his every attempt to get closer to me.

So, there were at least two attackers. I got up on my feet and after quick observation ran to the right, trying to reach a dark alleyway. Before I could get to it someone grabbed my braid and pulled me back on the lit part of the street. I yelped, again on the floor, but had to quickly dodge a shuriken being thrown at me. I stood up, taking a fighting stance and looking at the empty street and at the attacker I presumed was there. To think that someone would grab me by my hair…what the hell was going on?

Out of nowhere a foot hit me in the chest and I gritted my teeth, taking the kunai out of my pouch and slashing at the air. My kunai scraped someone and soon I saw blood coming from seemingly nothing in front of me. The blood moved but the kick came from the other side, making me hit a wall with my head. I cursed as I tried to stop the spinning sensation, everything around me a blur until I fixed my eyes on blood that was running down someone's shin.

"I think they're invisible!" Deidara yelled and I forced myself to stand up and jump on the roof, my eyes glued to the bloody leg that remained standing on the street below me.

"Natsuki! The brat wounded me!" A female voice yelled and I did a seal, trying to capture her yet the blood told me she ran around the corner where my shadow couldn't follow. The village grew dark all of a sudden and I looked up, seeing a cloud over the moon.

I went towards Deidara who was panting, pulling shuriken out of his hand and throwing it on the roof in anger. "If I could just bomb this whole village I would get them, un!" His kunai pouch was completely empty.

"We have to find a way to see where they are first." My head and chest were hurting like hell.

"You don't have to tell me that twice." He looked really angry and I guessed his patience had to be thin from walking the whole day and expecting an attack, only to get it served at the finishing line. "I used up a lot of my clay when we were first attacked. I have to make sure my bombs get them, un."

He looked at me. "You're bleeding." Which didn't really surprise me.

"We've been following you two ever since the canyon but to think you could do this to Tsukiko. Oh I really hate you Iwagakure brats!" A man yelled and we turned to where his voice came from, seeing a man with short silver hair next to a woman with same coloured hair in two ponytails. They were both dressed in gray ninja gear with headbands around their necks, bearing a crossed out Ishiagakure symbol.

"Are they the ones you saw in the forest when we were attacked?" He shook his head. "No, I would remember them, un."

"I want to kill them Natsuki. Look what the girl did to my leg." She showed her bleeding leg.

"We will Tsukiko. Iwagakure shinobi will only ruin our sanctuary."

"Why are Ishiagakure shinobi here?" Deidara asked.

"We are rogue ninjas. We abandoned Ishiagakure." Tsukiko said.

"But Iwagakure shinobi always disrespected Ishiagakure. As former Ishi shinobi, we harbour only hatred towards you." Natsuki said. I ran the sleeve of my red shirt across my forehead, but I couldn't tell how much blood I was losing because of the dark.

"We have to take them out, un."

"I know. But what if they become invisible again?"

"Since they are visible now this cannot be a genjutsu."

"You are betting on that?" He nodded. "My question still stands. What if they become invisible again?"

"If we continue towards the mountain as planned they're bound to follow. They followed us this far." I nodded. "We need to lure them to a narrow space in order for me to bomb them, un."

Tsukiko put a cloth over her wound and then they turned to us. "We won't let you leave this village. You are a good material for blackmailing the Tsuchikage." Natsuki said before he turned to Tsukiko. "Imagine it Tsukiko, Ishiagakure shinobi blackmailing the mighty Tsuchikage of Iwagakure."

"That'll show them!" I thought they couldn't possibly see my shadow move towards them in all that dark but as the village became illuminated by moonlight again, both of them jumped up in the air and disappeared.

"No good." I retracted my shadow. "They've gone invisible again."

"Back on plan A, un." We ran towards the mountain again, avoiding shuriken being thrown at us. Then a rock wall that came from the roof forced Deidara to stop and engage in taijutsu with an enemy he couldn't see. I was stopped too when someone kicked me from the roof again. Before I could run away or counterattack, ground beneath me split open. Kitsuchi was known for Doton: Earth Fissure but I never imagined I'd be caught in it one day too. I tried to climb up, sticking my kunai in earth walls, but a well thrown shuriken knocked my kunai out. I was slowly falling into the abyss of the earth under me and in a desperate attempt I did a seal, imagining my shadow as a giant hand that would grab the lamp post nearby.

"Come on brat, fall down already!" Tsukiko stomped her foot nearby and I exhaled, seeing my makeshift plan worked. The shadow stretching from my feet and to the lamp post was as good as a rope and I avoided falling to my death. I ran up the wall, using the shadow hand to throw myself on the roof above the street and run away. I glanced behind at Deidara and saw one of his clones getting destroyed. Real Deidara soon appeared next to me, both of us bruised, wounded, and breathing hard.

The two became visible again and Natsuki felt compelled to clap.

"How clever of you to switch with your earth clone. Well done, well done. What do you think Tsukiko?"

"That girl isn't an Iwa shinobi. She's not using Doton at all. Isn't that weird, Natsuki?"

"Maybe we should switch for the next round, huh Tsukiko?"

"They'll just tire us out, Deidara. We'll never reach that mountain." I muttered.

"No, we'll just use up the rest of our chakra the more we try. We'll have to fight them here, un." He looked at me.

"But the village-" I knew what was he asking me.

"At this rate one of us will get captured!" I inhaled, giving him a slight nod.

"Do you know why Ishiagakure shinobi couldn't capture us? That's what's usually done with rogue ninjas, they either get captured or killed. But we survived, didn't we Natsuki?"

"That's because Tsukiko and me are the best team there is. No one can possibly beat our teamwork!"

"I'll blast them, un." Deidara seethed, putting his hands in the pouch. At that moment I looked up to see another cloud moving away from the moon. As I looked back down, moonlight showed me the empty places where Natsuki and Tsukiko once stood.

Natsuki said they've been following us since the canyon and they could have easily attacked us there. Could it be they didn't attack us there because of...

"Deidara!" I turned to him. "You have to blow up the moon!"

"Huh?"

"Blow up the moon!" I repeated and he looked at the moon and then at me, understanding visible in his eyes. I ran away while he jumped up, throwing as much clay birds as he had in his pouch, all the ones he kept fusing as we walked to Akamira. Once a mass of birds was up in the air, Deidara made a seal.

A dozen birds exploded instantaneously, smoke from the explosions covering the moon and making a dark patch over this part of the village. All of a sudden Natsuki and Tsukiko became visible, their faces shocked as they stared at the covered moon. They were so sure of themselves because of their jutsu that they didn't think we would be able to figure it out. The fact that we did made them completely lose focus and we used that to our advantage.

"How do you like my art you Ishiagakure fools, un?" I chuckled, doing a seal and connecting my shadow to two of them. "It seems your invisibility is only active when there is moonlight." I yelled before nodding at Deidara. He fused a whole fist full of his clay spiders and both Natsuki and Tsukiko became distraught, seeing Deidara's explosives are aimed at them and they are unable to move.

The bombs wounded them and knocked them out. I didn't retract my shadow until we were sure they were completely bound by all the rope and seals we had. Then I sat on the edge of the roof, feeling myself exhausted and low on chakra. Deidara sat next to me.

"Kitsuchi was right about one thing." I glanced at him. "We really do make a good team, un." I nodded, smile on my lips.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and if you drop a review you get a special place in my heart. (To the two of you who did review, you made my day and that's really an achievement because midterms are killing me atm.)**


	9. Part 1, Chapter 8

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Even though the battle had ended we had no time to rest. The moment we sat on that roof for a little breather, villagers exited their homes, usurped by the explosions. Had not been for Takumi coming to our rescue we would have wasted the entire night explaining ourselves. Once they saw we managed to subdue Tsukiko and Natsuki they not only thanked us, they begged us to take care of the rest of the rogue Ishiagakure shinobi that had been tormenting them.

"There's more of them! In other villages! In the woods! They won't leave us alone!" However, neither Deidara nor me had any ounce of energy or chakra left to even consider such an attempt. These two already gave us enough trouble as it is and there was no way we would survive another fight. Not without some rest.

We even debated about immediately going to Iwaizumi, because that was the order we were given by Kitsuchi, but Takumi insisted we rest until morning. In the end we gave in and after hasty dinner and some quick bandaging we dozed off as soon as our heads hit the pillows. Deidara had minor wounds from shuriken on his right thigh and left arm plus some bruises, while I had to put an ice pack on my head and lip that were covered in dried blood. We even debated splitting up watch over unconscious Tsukiko and Natsuki but villagers promised to keep an eye on them until we wake up. So we went to sleep, and not even the pain from my wounds could have kept me awake.

In the morning we had breakfast before checking on the two shinobi. They were conscious and pissed, but otherwise unable to do anything. We then went to talk with Takumi, wondering whether the village had any messenger birds because we really needed to contact Kitsuchi. Just our luck that Doro appeared soon after we voiced our request. The scroll told us Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi met with backup Iwa team but not one Ishiagakure shinobi crossed their paths, and there were none in that makeshift camp near Iwaizumi. Now all of them were on their way to Akamira to talk with the locals, so our new order from Kitsuchi was to wait for them in Akamira.

The news made us both exhale in relief because we were still pretty beat up from last night. Not only that but we were both pretty clueless in dealing with rogue shinobi prisoners, so we hoped Kitsuchi would hurry. We positioned ourselves as guards and waited for Kitsuchi, the task giving us plenty of time to rest and heal.

Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi arrived in the afternoon, followed by a group of jonin Iwa shinobi consisting of Rin, Masaki, and Tenchi.

First they listened to me and Deidara telling how we defeated two Ishiagakure shinobi, which we were so excited to tell. Then they asked to see the two bound shinobi and as we showed them the prisoners all of them burst out laughing. Kitsuchi came to his senses first, saying how we slightly overdid it with the ropes and seals. They didn't really need a seal on their mouth, he said. Yet Deidara and I only had to recall all the 'Tsukiko' and 'Natsuki' the two kept repeating throughout the fight to know exactly why we sealed their mouth shut.

All in all, they were very impressed that the two of us managed to take down Ishiagakure rogue ninja. Rin stayed to interrogate them while Kitsuchi and the rest went to talk with Takumi and the villagers. We told Akatsuchi the whole story once more while he told us that they only beat up a lot of thieves and delinquents, but no real ninja. It seems there were at least six Ishiagakure rogue ninja hiding in these parts. With Tsukiko and Natsuki down, four more remained and Onoki-sensei sent the backup team to deal with them.

"So we're going back with Kitsuchi?" I asked.

"I think so. Unless Kitsuchi switches with someone from the group. Dealing with Ishiagakure rogue ninja is an A rank mission, if not S rank. We're not qualified for that." Deidara smirked and even I couldn't help myself but feel proud and, well, powerful. None of us said anything about our little competition but Deidara and me were the clear winners.

"Hey, since Kitsuchi is still on that meeting, how about we go and visit the dojos on the other side of the mountain? Takumi told me they're maybe an hour away, un."

"Sure." Akatsuchi and I both agreed, going up the mountain. There were two dojos on the mountain but only one was in function. Other one kept the shrine interior and we stared in awe at green, gold, and red marble decorating the walls, Buddha statues sitting in a well known pose for meditation.

Once we came back we met with the rest and Kitsuchi informed us that at least four Ishiagakure rogue ninjas are still in this area. Takumi said the villages decided to unite and take care of their gang problem, and first step was to provide aid to the Iwa shinobi in their quest of tracking them down. The three shinobi Onoki-sensei sent had already begun their mission, contacting Ishiagakure and asking whether they'd like to come and retrieve their missing shinobi. Ishiagakure accepted and once the three of them trade Natsuki and Tsukiko, they'll move on to other villages and take care of the rest of the rogue shinobi.

As for us, we were to return to Iwagakure with Kitsuchi first thing in the morning and give Onoki-sensei a detailed report. The villagers told Kitsuchi they wanted to give us something as a token of gratitude and that gift was a night in their hot springs on the south side of the village. Kitsuchi was a bit reluctant, as his plan was to go back to Iwagakure that very same night, but Deidara and me were still covered in bruises and all three of us were exhausted. Going from one village to another and dealing with enemy shinobi meant all of us were beat. So he agreed, saying he'll accept this time because none of us have ever been in hot springs before. We could all tell he was giving us this as a treat since we did great on our first mission though.

Hot springs was huge and richly decorated, leaving even Kitsuchi impressed. The host took us to our quarters consisting of three rooms; one for Kitsuchi to sleep in, one for us to sleep in, and one that served as a dining area. She said dinner will be served as soon as we finish with our baths and then she lead me to the women's dressing room, showing me an array of yukata's and telling me I can choose any to put on after the bath.

"This is your first time in hot springs?" I nodded. "Don't worry, male and female quarters are separated so use this to relax." I breathed out a sigh of relief. I was wondering about that fact for the whole time. I took off my clothes and peeked outside, seeing maybe three more women in the bath.

The water was hot and just what I needed to treat sore muscles. I immediately relaxed, letting the steam drug me and pull the tension out of my body. What interrupted my relaxation was ruckus coming from the other side of the grass panel, which reminded me of the one Deidara and I had in between our balconies. At first I thought someone was shouting from the other side but then the noise turned to fighting.

I thought I was imagining it but all of a sudden women screamed something about a 'pervert' before exiting the bath in haste. I crossed my hands across my chest by reflex but didn't move away. What the hell? I couldn't see how anyone could peek from that panel.

I waited for a while longer but the noise didn't repeat so I left the bath, dressing myself in peach coloured yukata.

As I entered the dining area I found the three of them sitting in silence, dressed in blue yukata, and fuming. Or maybe that was the leftover steam from the bath.

"Is everything alright?" I asked as I sat down but the only reaction was Kitsuchi's exhale. Then I noticed Deidara and Akatsuchi were having a staring contest, or more like a glaring one.

I raised my brows at Kitsuchi. "Can somebody tell me what's going on?"

"Both of them acted inappropriate, let's just say that."

"I did not! Akatsuchi is an idiot!" Deidara yelled. "I noticed these guys trying to peek on the other side so I went to kick their asses, un."

"What took you so long, then?" Akatsuchi asked.

"I was not peeking, you fool! You attacked me for no reason."

"I was trying to get you away from the panel!" I grew red, fighting the urge to kick both of them. _I_ was in that bath!

"Both of you shut up." I hissed, gripping the fabric of my yukata. They looked at me before growing silent and Kitsuchi sighed yet again.

Thankfully, the awkward silence did not stretch any further because our food came. And boy, that dinner was a masterpiece. A true feast that made the three of us stop fuming, choosing to forget the incident. Deidara became okay as soon as his eye caught the sight of a Bakudon. Or maybe his nose caught a whiff of it? I managed to make out him saying that's his favourite food in between munches. I had a bet with Kitsuchi, which I won, but to be fair he didn't know I can stand a lot of heat in my meals. He thought he could eat more wasabi than me but he was oh so wrong. The defeat made him drink far too much sake and before we could stop him he was already sleeping soundly. He didn't wake up for the dessert so we happily feasted on his serving too. We all followed in his footsteps soon enough, crashing in one of the comfiest beds I've ever had the luxury of sleeping in.

To balance out the relaxing atmosphere of hot springs, Kitsuchi told us to put more life in our steps and made us run the whole way back to Iwagakure. We entered the village before sunset and I think that had to be some sort of record for the fastest return trip. The whole thing made us exhausted all over again so Onoki-sensei told us to meet with him on our training grounds tomorrow morning.

So the next day Onoki-sensei listened to us talk about everything that happened on our mission. For the first time in a while he didn't levitate while talking to us, but instead sat on the rock, the three of us in front of him.

"Good work all of you. Kitsuchi took a great risk when he decided to split you up. It seems he judged your abilities well and made a good call. I will only question his judgement further by applying you three to the Chuunin exams next year."

"Chuunin exams?" Onoki-sensei nodded. "There's lot of training to be done before that. More missions too. But by next year all of you will be fifteen. I believe you can handle that when the time comes. However, this mission had to make you see you have your limits as well. It's time to expand your jutsus and your fighting style." We nodded and I smiled, feeling excited about the possibilities.

"Wait, Onoki-sensei, I wanted to ask you about-"

"Yes, about your Shadow jutsu. Kitsuchi told me you're quick in utilising it and it saved all of you a number of times."

"It actually only stopped enemies before Deidara would bomb them."

"Don't overlook the importance of strategic planning. Power and offense won't win every time, and good strategy is more valuable on the battlefield. It could mean the difference between life and death. A good strategist who knows their own limits and works well with others can take out anyone, even something as powerful as my kekkei tota." That got me thinking.

"You and Deidara already have good understanding of each other's skills and attributes. It's time to include Akatsuchi in that team. I told you as soon as we began our training; teamwork is a crucial shinobi skill."

"But my Shadow jutsu-"

"I'm getting there, Sayomi." He put his palm in the air. "Deidara." He turned to him. "Your use of clay to form bombs means you identify yourself as a long range fighter."

"I can't really be a long range fighter when I have to get close to make sure my bombs hit the target, un."

"That style of fighting poses a risk to you as well. You'll have to expand the range of your explosions."

"The range? I'll expand the range when I figure out how to fuse them faster."

"Yes, you will have to devise a better method for fusing your bombs. I told Gari to get you other types of clay to see if that will help you in any way." Deidara's eyes narrowed but Onoki-sensei already turned to Akatsuchi.

"Akatsuchi. Doton and speed, that's all you need." Akatsuchi nodded. "Wrong! You need to pay more attention to your surroundings."

"O-okay Onoki-sensei." I was dying from curiosity so when Onoki-sensei looked at me he only sighed, clearing his throat.

"The reason why I couldn't answer all your questions before, Sayomi, was because I was myself unsure of the power you possess."

"What do you mean?"

"You remember Rin, don't you? I sent her as a backup jonin to Akamira. She is the best sensory shinobi in the village and she is the one who checked your chakra for me. She said you have fire release, but that's almost completely irrelevant in your case since your dominant chakra nature is Yin release. It fully swallowed up your fire release. That's why you had trouble utilising your chakra in jutsus that aren't suited for Yin release."

"Yin release?" Akatsuchi asked.

"I've read about it. You wrote that Second Mizukage used his Yin release to cast genjutsu." I remembered.

"Exactly. But let's start from the beginning. There are five chakra natures in the elemental circle, that you already know. But outside of elemental circle there exist two more chakra natures; Yin release and Yang release respectfully. Each of them is based on the abundance of either spiritual or physical energy. Yang release alters the ratio of your inner spiritual and physical energy in favour of physical energy. Yin does the opposite; it alters the ratio in favour of your spiritual energy. Usually the user is consciously doing the altering, but in your case your body does it naturally. That's why meditation helped you so much in uncovering the secrets of your chakra." I raised my eyebrows.

"Is that some kind of kekkei genkai?" I asked.

"No. For a kekkei genkai you have to have two different types of chakra."

"But if I have fire release and-"

"I told you, your fire release is irrelevant because your Yin chakra is dominant over it. So it counts as one." He looked up. "Now where was I? Right." He cleared his throat.

"Spiritual energy governs imagination, and that's why Yin release is used when casting genjutsu. But that's not its only use. Yin is also known as Dark Style or Shadow Style. That's the jutsu that came natural to you, which implies you have means to expand it even further." I didn't know which question to ask first. I thought Onoki-sensei's explanation will leave all of my questions answered, but it only made me form new ones.

"Where…How can I learn it? There are people who use Shadow jutsu beside me, right?" Onoki-sensei's face became grim all of a sudden.

"There is no one in the village who uses Shadow jutsu. You will have to learn the depth of it by yourself."

"Are you kidding me?!" I threw my hands in the air. "I barely discovered this much, and now I have to-"

"Oi, Sayomi! It makes sense, un." I looked at Deidara with my eyes wide. "What do you mean it makes sense?"

"Spiritual energy governs imagination, he said that just now. So there is no limit to jutsu you can come up with. The only limit is your chakra, un." I stared at him, thinking how he was the one with an abundance of imagination. _He_ was an artist. I was just…confused. That's what I was.

Onoki-sensei sighed. "I cannot help you, Sayomi. I don't have any experience in Yin release, much less for a Shadow type jutsu. You'll have to adopt a strict discipline and train by yourself. Akatsuchi, you will resume your Doton training under Kitsuchi. Deidara, your place as a member of the Explosion Unit awaits you." He looked at the three of us.

"You will continue to train taijutsu every morning and will be sent on occasional missions. Use those missions to work on your teamwork. The grand finale will be your Chuunin exam. Understood?"

We all nodded. Well, what else could I do? I always had to do the hard work by myself.

* * *

 **For the record, Deidara didn't peek. He _did_ see someone else peeking so he went to kick their asses because he knew a certain someone was in that bath, which Akatsuchi wrongfully interpreted. Or maybe he did sneak a peek how would I know? (still think he didn't lol)**

 **This week's chapter is shorter than usual but the next one will be really long soo bear with me for a bit.**

 **Thank you for reading and idk maybe drop a review telling me if you've liked it :)**


	10. Part 1, Chapter 9

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Months passed by quickly. I didn't even notice it because we were all so busy with our training. Not even the changing seasons made us stop for a second. The only real marks that told me how much time passed were our birthdays. First it was Akatsuchi's birthday in January, and I remember that day particularly because it was his sixteenth birthday and the first time I found out he was actually a year older than Deidara and me. Kurotsuchi proposed we buy him something because it's his sixteenth birthday and we agreed, leaving it to Kurotsuchi to come up with a present. And she surprised us all when she gave Akatsuchi a yellow scarf, saying it's from the three of us.

"A scarf? Really, un?" Deidara muttered but Akatsuchi loved the idea and we all felt relieved. Kurotsuchi, I think, the most.

Deidara's fifteenth birthday was in May and it was only when his birthday came that we realized how close our Chuunin exams are. We ate ice-cream for his birthday because it was the first hot day of the year and talked about all the rumors we heard about Chuunin exams.

Yet even my birthday, which was in July, came and went, and the Chuunin exam was nowhere on the horizon.

We started becoming impatient around Deidara's birthday, but after my birthday passed we wanted answers. Yet Onoki-sensei told us to wait a little longer, that the Chuunin exam is in preparation and we have to keep our focus on training.

That didn't really console us but we had nothing else to do but train.

So in the span of ten months all we did was train. We went on eight more missions outside of the village but they were all disappointing. We didn't get anything as interesting and exciting as our first mission, but we were still grateful for them just for the sheer opportunity to leave the village for a bit.

In those ten months we mostly kept training by ourselves. Akatsuchi was either training with Onoki-sensei or with Kitsuchi since he was one of the best Doton users in the village. He even told us Kurotsuchi would join them when she wasn't with her own team.

Deidara was in the Explosion Unit with Gari but would sometimes come train with Onoki-sensei and Akatsuchi, expanding both his Doton and Bakuton.

And me? I was by myself for the whole time.

Okay maybe not for the whole time. We still met in the morning to train taijutsu together but for the rest of the day I would be by myself. I would go to the forest and there train myself in my Shadow jutsu. I would begin every session with meditation, and after a while I got so used to meditating that I would do it on missions if I had the opportunity. Through meditating I came to a better understanding of my unusual chakra, and to a better sense of control over it. In order to use my shadow in jutsu I had to mold my chakra in it and then essentially control my chakra and with it my shadow. It all came back to chakra control even though I now moved past the basics of it.

One more thing meditation helped me with was clearing my head in order to think of possible jutsu.

That day when Onoki-sensei told me I'll have to come up with jutsu all by myself I was both angry and concerned. Yes, Deidara told me that should be easy because Yin release concentrates on imagination so there's no limit to jutsu I can come up with. But I wasn't the creative one out of the two of us. So later I sought him out, trying to get him to maybe share an idea or something.

"I mean, you're the one who comes up with new things." I gestured towards his sculptures. "I don't do that, I'm not you." He kept observing me, hands crossed. "Good thing you're not me, un."

"Huh?"

"I don't do 2D art." He pointed at my shadow.

"Well yeah, but neither do I. I'm not…I've never…" I flailed my arms around, trying to express myself.

"Have you tried it?"

"No. But constructing new jutsu isn't easy! That's jonin level skill, if not kage level."

"I've made a new type of jutsu and I'm not a jonin, un." He argued.

"But I'm not you!"

"I don't remember you being stupid either!" He looked annoyed but I was feeling frustrated from the whole idea so I kept going at it.

"Do you think this is easy? Not even the Tsuchikage can help me with this! Both you and Akatsuchi have your own units, your own special sensei, while I'm supposed to do everything by myself."

"So what?"

"So what?! I just told you!"

"You won't be able to solve it if you keep acting like a four-year old! You've never whined before, un."

I got angry on him. Both because of the 'whining' part and because he couldn't see the depth of my problem. He reciprocated, but only because I couldn't see how easy the solution was and that was pissing him off.

We kept that argument going for a while. We didn't talk at all and the only time I saw him was on our morning taijutsu sessions where we would go at each other full speed and strength. Akatsuchi had to interfere a couple of times because we wouldn't stop on taijutsu but would draw our kunai at one another. Then Akatsuchi became angry because both of us refused to end our sparring sessions with the mandatory Seal of Reconciliation. So the violent fights between us continued and more than once I slipped up and got a kick or two from Deidara, for which I always made sure to pay him back.

As time passed I only become more and more frustrated, my argument with Deidara fueling that additionally. Then one day I realized what he actually meant with his words. He experimented and came up with a new way of utilising his Bakuton. It was because he wanted to expand his art even more. That's what pushed him forward.

I wasn't an artist. I never claimed my jutsu was art. That was Deidara. I was his support. I had to become powerful because I needed to support him. Which meant I had to come up with powerful jutsus no one's ever seen before.

That's what finally urged me forward. Or, as Deidara would say, that's what inspired me.

First thing I experimented with was something I already did before but completely forgot about it. When Tsukiko tried to kill me with her Doton: Earth Fissure I saved myself with my shadow by imagining it to be a hand that would hold onto the lamp post.

I started from there, building it up and realizing I really had a lot of freedom in controlling my shadow as long as I'm good at controlling my chakra. If I wanted it to grab branches and pull me up it would listen. If I imagined it all thin, wrapping around my kunai and throwing it away, it would do it. The more I meditated the better I became, and the more I used my shadow in fighting.

I knew that since Yin and Yang weren't in the elemental circle they had no weaknesses. Technically, Yin release wasn't weak against anything, though I knew that's never true. Every jutsu has its weakness, or at least something that can be used to its disadvantage. I had to be aware of them in order to prevent my enemies from finding out.

It soon became very clear what could weaken my Shadow jutsu. Sun was the first thing that I realized had an effect on my jutsu. Noon proved to be the worst, making my shadow nearly non-existent. That could be taken care of if I fused my shadow with other shadows in the area. I already did that once, when I used shadows of trees on the edge of the clearing to make sure Onoki-sensei doesn't see my shadow moving behind his back. Back then I did it only so he doesn't see me, yet now I came to the conclusion that my shadow would have failed if I had instead made it go straight across the clearing. So, careful mapping of the area I was in in order to figure out how to move my shadow across became crucial. The range of my shadow, when it wasn't noon and when I didn't merge it with other shadows, was fifty meters at best. If I merged it, it could go up to two hundred meters. Though, that was only for my shadow going in a straight line. If I wanted it to cover the area, the range would decrease greatly.

That's when I encountered another drawback, which also happened to me once. If I didn't have a visual of where my shadow was going it wouldn't listen. I couldn't make my shadow go straight across the forest because I could neither follow my shadow with my eyes nor did I have a clear visual of the path in my brain. But after memorizing the layout of the entire village I didn't even have to be able to see to guide my shadow where I wanted. So training my memory proved to be an efficient solution.

That was two problems solved. Third problem was the duration of my Shadow Bind. At first I could only do it for five minutes, but after a while I could prolong that time. Of course, the more I prolonged it the more chakra it would consume, but I knew my chakra reserve wasn't small ever since I tried medic ninjutsu and sensei there told me my reserve was optimal for it.

Though my chakra wasn't optimal for medic ninjutsu, but whatever.

After I've learned all that I decided I need to try new forms of jutsu. But another problem appeared then, because I couldn't progress in that department without anyone to try my jutsu on.

Or maybe the real problem was that I didn't want anyone to help me with that but Deidara, except that we were kinda hating each other right now.

In the end I decided there's no reason to be angry on him because I was in the wrong and he only told me what I needed to hear. Next morning I woke up earlier, taking a seat on the rock fence of his balcony and waiting for him to exit. I almost fell asleep waiting for him like that, because it really was absurdly early in the morning. When he finally did exit he stopped, his hand on the doorknob, returning my stare.

"What?" Now when it came to it I really had no idea how to word my proposition.

"Uuh…do you maybe want to-I mean, do you maybe have time-"

"Spit it out already, un."

"Do you have time to help me with my training?" I blurted out. He raised his eyebrow. "I need to try a couple of jutsu on someone."

"Well well well…" He smirked and I sighed. I knew he would torture me for this. "So you do admit I was right?"

"You were right." I muttered.

"And?" He came closer and I made a face. "I promise I won't whine anymore. Happy?"

"Fine, I'll help you, un."

"This won't be the only time I'll need your help, though." I thought I should mention it.

"Figured." I smiled.

So Deidara agreed to be my lab rat whenever I needed to try my jutsu on someone. I trusted in his judgement now more than ever.

We met that afternoon in the forest for the first time and I was really excited because the jutsu I was about to try had been on my mind for a while now.

He was standing away from me and I put my hands in the rat seal, connecting my shadow to his.

"That again?" But then I removed my hands from the seal, keeping my eye on the shadow. My improvement was visible to me as soon as I undid the seal and my shadow didn't retract from Deidara's. That's what I was aiming for. I needed to expand the Shadow Bind so I didn't have to keep my hands in the seal all the time.

As I waved my hands around, testing whether the jutsu was holding out, I noticed Deidara imitated my movements.

"What the hell?"

I burst out laughing, seeing his annoyed face. "Since when are you able to control me?" Was I really controlling him?

I did one step backwards, then one forwards, he following my every move. I moved my hand to my shuriken pouch, pulling one out.

"Oi, you might want to rethink this, un." I saw he also pulled a shuriken out since his pouch was on the same place as mine.

I stopped, thinking about this. "So as long as my shadow is connected to yours, your body will do everything I do. But if I pull out a weapon to use the trapping to my advantage - you pull it out too."

"Yeah and I bet if we both throw them they would cancel out." I looked at my shuriken and then at him and he sighed, reading my thoughts.

I flicked the shuriken at him and he followed my movements. He was right, the shuriken cancelled each other in the air.

"Told you, un." I retracted my shadow by once again doing the rat seal and then undoing it.

"No matter. I just wanted to see whether it'll work."

Next time I tried something else on him. Well, more like I took a massive gamble.

"You want me to do what?" Maybe he didn't hear me clearly.

"Throw kunai at me." I yelled and saw him taking out two. "I didn't say two!" But he already threw them at me. I did a rat seal, extending my shadow just a bit from my body. When the kunai were close, I raised my shadow strip straight into the air, biting my lip and hoping the whole thing will work or else I'll get stabbed.

But it worked. Shadow swallowed the two kunai and they didn't make it to me. I exhaled from relief because at one moment I really thought they would get me. Then I saw Deidara coming closer.

"You alive?" I smiled, not a scratch on me. "I thought the kunai passed through your shadow, un."

"No, they went in." I moved my shadow back. "That's what I was going for. I'm really glad it worked."

"See, I told you if you'd just use your imagination you would come up with something." I grinned at his words.

"So it's good?" He nodded. "Thank you." He looked away, maybe because of the embarrassment from praising me so forward.

"Yeah, now can I get my kunai back?" I pressed my lips together.

"I…don't think that's possible." He gave me a look and I burst out laughing. "I'm sorry but once they're in my shadow I can't get them back."

"Great. Maybe try working on that, un."

Next time I told him to fuse kunai with his Bakuton.

"You can do it, right?"

"Yeah, I learned how to do that. It's a form of nature transformation, un." He said, concentrating on his kunai while I built my shadow wall.

"Incoming!" He warned me and I looked at the shadow wall, my lips ready to make a victorious smirk as I swallow this kunai also.

But then I saw the tip of the kunai exiting the shadow and I barely had time to cover my face with my arms before the kunai pierced my right forearm, exploding upon contact.

I was thrown a few meters away, feeling my arms burning and the kunai still stuck in my flesh. I pulled it out, throwing it away before I exhaled, letting my arms fall on the ground. That proved to be a critical mistake because as soon as my arms touched the ground the pain coursed through me, the burns making me scream out in pain.

"Goddamit Sayomi." Deidara crouched next to me, raising both of my hands in the air. I continued to lay on the ground, closing my eyes tight and feeling tears welling up.

"How bad is it?"

"You'll need to get this treated, un."

"Yeah but how bad is it?" I opened my eyes, seeing him inspecting the other side of my arms. My answer soon came in a shape of blood trickling down my elbows and staining my pants. I put my head back on the ground, blinking away tears from my eyes.

"It really hurts."

"Come on." He stood up and I looked at him, telling him with my eyes to spare me a bit but he shook his head.

"You want to have permanent burns on your arms? We need to get to the hospital, un." He pulled me up, leading me to the hospital by tugging on my arms to keep them away from my body in case I decide to lean on them again.

We continued to walk like that through the village and I tried to fight both my tears and my blush, but not like anyone thought anything of it since my burns were visible and I was still bleeding profusely.

Medic ninja treated my arms, opting to slather them in some stinky cream before wrapping them up in bandages. She told me the burns should go away in a week or so. If I'm lucky, that is, since the explosion got me at point blank.

Then she asked me how I got them and I said I had to try out something for my new jutsu, and I knew it was a gamble. Though truth be told I was pretty certain it would be a success just like the last one, but it seems my shadow couldn't swallow something fueled with chakra.

So much about me swallowing up enemy jutsu.

She also told me to take it easy with my arms for a while but I kind of forgot about that. Next morning I was just on time to practice taijutsu with Akatsuchi, since Deidara was nowhere to be seen.

"What's with the bandages?" He asked.

"Nothing. Let's get this started. I have to get back to adjusting one jutsu." He nodded and for a while my arms didn't pose any problem to me. That was mainly because I only ever used my legs in taijutsu, a thing that didn't change ever since that first sparring with my new teammates.

However, in such a fast taijutsu I usually acted on my reflexes and not as much on my brain so of course it didn't even cross my mind that I cannot use my arms for blocking.

So I did exactly that. I blocked Akatsuchi's leg with my arms, screaming in pain as soon as his leg touched them. His kick was also really powerful so all factors came together and I fell on the ground again, biting my lip and pulling my arms close.

"Akatsuchi you idiot!" I saw Deidara attacking Akatsuchi who had no time to be confused about me because he had to protect himself from angry Deidara. "Can't you see she's hurt you dumb golem!"

"She told me it was nothing!"

"Why would she be wearing bandages then, un?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I steadied my breathing, cursing medic ninjas for not healing me instantly. How will I resume with training if I have to watch out for every single thing?

I sat up, ignoring the two of them still fighting since I was more interested in my aching arms. I saw red soaking through the stark white bandages but I decided not to go to hospital again. Yeah I had to take it easy but I also had to train. I couldn't just take a break until my arms are fully healed. So I went to the two of them, who immediately stopped as they saw me approaching. I exhaled, and put my hands in a stance.

"But you're bleeding, Sayomi." Akatsuchi pointed but I didn't budge. "Don't go easy on me." I said, even though my arms hurt like hell and I knew if I say to them to hold nothing back, they really won't. I had to force myself to learn to endure pain.

Which proved to be a really bad idea. By the end of our training I was on my knees, looking at my bloody bandages and biting my lip as to not cry. I did endure the whole training though, I just wasn't sure will that bring me any good or wreck my arms even more.

And I think it was the second time I was going to the hospital that Deidara brought my attention to something.

"Huh?"

"I'm serious, un. No matter what part of the day it is, your shadow is always directly underneath you." I compared my shadow to his, seeing he was right.

"That's…weird." It was even weirder because I haven't noticed it at all.

"Must be because of your training." I nodded. It was the only possible explanation.

My arms remained wrapped in bandages for more than a month but I didn't stop with my training because it was summer and I knew Chuunin exams were close. My decision did have consequences though, and my forearms now had permanent light pink scars. There wasn't anything I could do about that but it didn't matter to me since being scarred was one of the risks that come with being a shinobi.

That was the last major thing that happened over the course of those months of training. It was beginning of August when Onoki-sensei summoned us to give us news about Chuunin exams.

"The preparations are complete and the exam starts next week. I hope all of you trained yourself the best you could." We nodded.

"Do remember you are my students and as such you have to be on the top. I expect all of you to become chuunin by the end of this. The tradition is that your jonin sensei has to treat you to a meal once you become chuunin, and then again when you become jonin."

"Will you treat me to a meal once I become Tsuchikage?" Deidara asked, his lips in a smirk and I chuckled.

"If you become Tsuchikage I'll put one of your clay birds on my head instead of my Tsuchikage hat." Onoki-sensei said, and I saw he was giving his all not to roll his eyes.

"That's a deal you Old Geezer, un!" Akatsuchi and I burst out laughing while Onoki-sensei shook his head.

I could see already how he'll regret his deal with Deidara one day. It was just a matter of time.

* * *

 **Next couple of chapters will be about their Chuunin exams so that'll be fun. I'm actually really excited about it even though that means more fighting scenes and those take me a long time to write properly.**

 **Thank you for reading and for reviewing, also keep up the latter because it makes me so happy to hear feedback from you guys.** **N** **ew chapter will be out next week, as usual. :)**


	11. Part 1, Chapter 10

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Sayomi's POV**

I was almost late to the opening ceremony. In my defense I was too immersed in making sure all my weapons were on their place to realize I have to get going to make it on time. I had to meet with the rest on the training grounds on the west part of the village, which technically wasn't part of the village anymore since it was outside the borders. I know Iwa shinobi went there to train their Doton techniques in order to get used to performing them on huge terrain. Akatsuchi went there quite often, and I think even Deidara did a couple of times.

Since I trained by myself in the forest because my technique heavily relied on shadows, I've never really been there, and it took me a while to get to it. Once I came, already exhausted before the whole thing began, I met with Akatsuchi and Deidara.

"You're almost late Sayomi." Akatsuchi greeted me.

"No one told me it's so difficult to reach this place."

"Not if you dig a tunnel through the mountain." I glared at Akatsuchi. "You know I can't do that."

"Oh right, I forgot you don't use Doton at all."

"Seriously, how are we supposed to pass this as a team if he doesn't know I don't use Doton?" I turned to Deidara who kept quiet, looking at other groups of genin around us.

"I forgot for a second, I'm sorry!" I sighed when Deidara turned to me. "I think I see Ishiagakure genin over there as well."

"What?" Akatsuchi and me turned to the groups and after a bit of searching I indeed spotted four teams with Ishiagakure headbands.

"Yeah you're right. That's weird."

"Especially because Old Geezer can't stand other villages, un." Then I saw someone else.

"Wait, what is Kurotsuchi doing here?" Right as we all turned to look at her she approached us, followed by her two teammates.

"Hello Akatsuchi, Deidara-nii, Sayomi-nee." She grinned. "Surprised to see me? Well, grandpa said our team is good enough to compete for chuunin spots."

"Did he now?" Deidara crossed his hands. "That's awesome Kurotsuchi! You're not even fifteen yet." Akatsuchi clapped his hands.

"Nope." She stuck her tongue out and I shared a look with Deidara before noticing something.

"Wait, what do you mean spots?"

"Oh, there is a limit to how many students can advance to chuunin rank. If you don't succeed this year there's always the next one, though."

"But the Chuunin exam is held every two years..." I pinched the bridge of my nose, realizing just how much I cannot allow myself to screw this up.

"Didn't grandpa tell you that?"

"No. Old Geezer likes to keep us in the dark, un." Deidara looked annoyed while I thought how Kurotsuchi added more pressure to this whole thing.

"Well, good luck then." She chuckled before going away and I couldn't discern whether I was more annoyed by her or by Onoki-sensei.

We waited for a while longer, observing Iwa and Ishiagakure jonin joining us. Onoki-sensei arrived not long after, followed by the Ishikage. Everyone went silent and Onoki-sensei made himself levitate in order to be visible to everyone.

"Welcome to the Chuunin exam." He said, not even giving us a smile. Typical Onoki-sensei.

"This year will be one of the biggest Chuunin exams the village of Iwagakure has ever seen, because we are joined by Ishiagakure genin. Our relations prospered due to cooperation in the last year and now we will both assess you to see who has what it takes to become chuunin."

He smirked.

Something tells me he made sure to complicate the whole ordeal.

"First two exams will be your teamwork skills. If you are not able to work well with your team, you won't pass to the third and final exam. Now, let us explain the first two exams since they are merged together." He cleared his throat, glancing at Kitsuchi who stood a bit away from him. Kitsuchi stepped forward, looking just as grim as his father.

If it runs in the family, Kurotsuchi must be some anomaly.

"Alright, listen carefully. Not far away from where we stand right now is an entrance to an old mine complex. All teams will be given a scroll and will have to make their way across the mine without it being stolen. If you succeed in that and exit the mine, second exam begins. Your participation in it depends on the time of your arrival back on the surface. Second exam will determine who passes to the third and final exam." A couple of teams became uneasy and I took a deep breath.

"But there is an odd number of teams." Someone yelled and Kitsuchi put his palm in the air.

"If your scroll gets stolen your team is disqualified and won't get a chance to participate in the second part of the exam. The same goes if one of your teammates goes missing or gets severely injured. The fewer the teams to exit the mine the greater your odds are to become chuunin. The number of chuunin spots is limited after all." That got everyone talking and effectively pitted teams against each other. As soon as we enter the mine it will become an all out battle. Great, it just had to be underground, on such a perfect Doton terrain for a non-Doton user like myself.

"Even if you think other teams don't stand a chance, remember that making your way across the mine might seem like an easy thing to do but is in fact a feat for itself. You will have to find your way through complicated and puzzling mine structure, battle with other teams and with the harsh conditions of the underground. Now that's what I call a Chuunin exam!" Onoki-sensei added and the smirk on his face told me he was enjoying in this too much. Way too much.

"The exam starts in an hour. I advise you to take all that you need before heading over to the mine entrance. Good luck everyone." Kitsuchi finished the ceremony.

"So do you think we should take food with us?" Akatsuchi asked and I furrowed my brows.

"No way, taking food will only slow us down." Deidara cut him off.

"But who knows how long will we have to be underground." Akatsuchi didn't waver.

"Can't you listen to reason for one second?" I looked at Deidara's waist and the pouch he carried.

"You sure you have enough clay?" I asked. "No one can tell us how long we'll be in there, and how much we'll have to fight. If you run out of it…" He looked at me and then at the pouch on his waist. "I guess I have room for a bit more clay, un."

"I'll take energy bars then!" Akatsuchi said and I shook my head, following Deidara to the tent with the equipment. I had enough shuriken and kunai on me and making sure I did already slowed me down in the morning. There was clay on the edge of the table but no one touched it before us and I knew it had to be Onoki-sensei's doing. He supplied clay specifically for Deidara.

In the end I strapped a small pouch of clay on my waist, just in case, because I knew Deidara could easily get carried away while throwing his explosives.

We waited for Akatsuchi who, despite us saying he's carrying too many unnecessary things, still chose to go inside the mine with a backpack on his back. He wasn't the only one though, as we soon saw a couple of more genin from various teams carrying backpacks as well.

There really was an odd number of teams; four teams from Ishiagakure and eleven from Iwagakure. Neither Kurotsuchi nor Onoki-sensei disclosed just how many chuunin spots are available but I had a feeling it was a low number and that was a thing that loomed over all forty-five of us.

I wanted us to form a layout of the strategy for our time in the mine. Before I could even propose such a thing an Iwagakure jonin came to us, saying he shall be escorting us to our starting position.

"What do you mean starting position?" Akatsuchi asked as we went up the mountain and to the left, to a particular spot only this jonin knew. Out of the corner of my eye I saw other teams being escorted as well.

"You cannot all enter the mine from the same spot, it would be too easy." The jonin said. It made sense.

"This will make it harder for us to get rid of other teams, un." Deidara muttered.

"You are Onoki-dono's students, aren't you?" Jonin asked us as he stopped running and we nodded.

"Be extra careful of Ishiagakure genin. They know you were the ones who took care of the rogue ninja from their village. Their honor is deeply wounded by that and they will seek revenge to re-establish the Ishiagakure pride."

Deidara and I shared a look that meant: 'If they are as annoying as those two were, we'll have to teach them a lesson as well.'

The jonin then clapped his hands and knelt down, making a hole wide enough for us to enter. I could smell the earthy and stale air of the mine underneath us, and I thought how this will just be fifteen teams wandering in the dark when the jonin added: "We have provided you light in there, so as to make sure Katon wielders don't have the upper hand."

I deadpanned, thinking how the ones with the upper hand will most definitely be Doton users.

He took a scroll out of his pouch, handing it to Deidara.

"Here is your scroll. Good luck." We went inside as the earth moved back, sealing us underground.

He was right about the light thing. Hallway walls had torches every couple of meters, and it was just as I liked it; illuminated but with enough shadows around to not worry about the effects of light.

I couldn't feel anyone near us and the hallway stayed silent. I opened my mouth to finally ask about the strategy thingy but I stopped, seeing both Deidara and Akatsuchi had their hands on the wall, concentrating on it.

"They have to be using Doton: Hide Like a Mole Technique. Doing Doton: Tunneling Technique would be too risky given the mine structure." Akatsuchi said and Deidara nodded. "That technique is the best way to get about here."

I didn't know whether to be angry because of all this Doton around me making me useless or to apologise for dragging them down with me.

"However…" I looked up and saw Deidara smirking. "They cannot possibly keep track of one another while doing that Technique, un."

"That Technique is used for escaping and not for offense. They will soon realize their mistake." Akatsuchi added.

I put my hand on my forehead, trying to hide my smile. I'm such an idiot for giving up already. This is a team exam and we had good teamwork and knew each other well. They won't abandon me for lacking Doton skills and I definitely wasn't useless. Our jutsus weren't like anything anyone's ever seen before and that was to our advantage.

"Sayomi?" Akatsuchi asked and I moved my hand away. "What's the plan?" I asked and he shrugged, turning to Deidara.

"Why are you two looking at me?"

"You're the leader." I thought it was obvious and Akatsuchi's nodding confirmed my statement. Deidara put a finger on his chin. "Akatsuchi, do you remember the position of the mine entrance?"

"West to north-west." Akatsuchi said.

"Where do you think the exit could be, un?"

"It could be straight across. Why don't we check the wind?"

"I can't feel any ventilation." I said. "Me neither. And the Old Geezer did say we will have to find our way _across_ the mine…"

Then it dawned on me. "Wait, guys…don't mine's usually have only one entrance and exit?" They looked at me.

"They sometimes have emergency exits." I pursed my lips but Deidara snapped his fingers. "No, she's right. That's why we were all escorted away from the entrance. We have to go back there, un."

"But what if that's the wrong way?" Akatsuchi scratched the back of his head.

"Well, Onoki-sensei didn't say we cannot exit through the entrance." I smiled.

"Akatsuchi, use Doton: Hide Like a Mole to check our position." Deidara said and Akatsuchi made a seal, sinking into the earth like it was sand.

"How can he do that?"

"That jutsu allows you to move through the earth by sensing magnetic forces. He'll use them to pinpoint our location, un." I nodded when both of us heard someone breaking through the wall down the hallway we were in.

I put my hands in a seal and Deidara took some of his clay, fusing it.

A distraught Iwa genin came out. "I lost them! I told them to go north and they…what the hell?" He finally realized he can't control his movements any more, courtesy of me, and the last thing he saw was Deidara's clay spider exploding, knocking him unconscious.

"That's one down." He crouched next to the body, soon turning to me with a smirk and another scroll in-between his fingers. I grinned.

He threw me the second scroll. "So much about that team getting to the second stage."

"I told you Hide Like a Mole is a bad strategy, un."

"It sounded like a good idea that you two had to discard only because of me." He gave me a look.

"You're overthinking the whole Doton thing. You don't have an elemental disadvantage over it, you're not a Suiton user."

"I know." I sighed. "It's hard not to overthink it in a place like this."

Then Akatsuchi exited. "We have to go that way." He pointed to the other side of the hallway and we finally embarked.

The mine was full of twists and turns, like a labyrinth. The complexity of it meant we won't be back on the surface any time soon, even though we had a pretty sound idea in which direction the exit is. Occasionally we would walk down a wider hallway, an underground chamber, or an insanely narrow passage. The latter didn't bother Deidara and me but Akatsuchi hated it. Couple of hallways and rooms even made him stoop.

We were walking through a big room to another corridor when earth split open beneath our feet. Deidara and me jumped away to the narrow strip of floor that was still intact unlike Akatsuchi, who lost his footing and the backpack pulled him down in to the pit.

Luckily, Deidara acted fast and caught Akatsuchi's ankle. I was about to go there to help him but parts of the floor cracked as the chamber continued to shake. I saw the wall next to the entrance of the room had cracks near the floor and just as I thought the wall will come down for sure, the shaking stopped. That's when I made my way to Deidara and Akatsuchi. Deidara's attention and eyes darted all around the room, as if he was trying to pinpoint something or someone. I let him be and made a seal, imagining my shadow wrapping around Akatsuchi's waist in an attempt to pull him up.

"You can let him go now." I said to Deidara but his narrowed eyes were looking at the wall on the right, next to the entrance.

"Um, guys?" Akatsuchi asked, still hanging upside down.

"All the cracks on this floor begin from that wall, un."

"Deidara." He looked at me and I motioned towards the shadow that was wrapped around Akatsuchi. He slowly let go of Akatsuchi's ankle, testing the strength of my shadow rope which proved to be effective enough.

"Guuuys!"

"I think they're hiding in that wall with Hide Like a Mole." He glanced at me and I nodded. He didn't even have to say the plan out loud; I'll help Akatsuchi while he takes out our attackers. I turned to Akatsuchi while Deidara began fusing his clay spiders.

"Akatsuchi I'll pull you up now." He gave me thumbs up and I stood up but as I did that I noticed that the shadow started to pull me after Akatsuchi. I quickly knelt back down to stop it before inhaling and trying again, but Akatsuchi was taller and heavier than me and every time I stood up my feet would begin slipping towards the edge of the pit and after him.

I thought about asking Deidara for help but he was placing his explosives down the whole length of the wall so I sighed, looking down at Akatsuchi.

"Hey Akatsuchi, can't you enter the ground with Hide Like a Mole?"

"I can't, it's only rock here." I bit my lip. "But if you lower me down to the earth part I probably could."

"I can do that." I concentrated on the shadow strip holding Akatsuchi, elongating it and lowering him further down. His weight began pulling me after him again so I hurried.

"Deidara says they're hiding in the wall on our right." I added and heard "Got it. Doton: Hide Like a Mole!" I exhaled in relief once the pulling stopped. I was kneeling on the edge of the hole and I didn't like the look of cracks that were all around me.

Deidara decided to detonate his explosives and the floor shook again so I made my way to the solid part of the floor.

A bunch of explosions were enough to collapse a giant part of the wall and one of the attackers fell into the pit. Deidara threw some more bombs after him before going to where I was. I was looking at the floor, hoping the whole thing won't come down because I couldn't save myself with Hide Like a Mole.

Another part of the wall collapsed but this time it was Akatsuchi breaking through it, kicking some guy straight across the floor to us. He was bruised and unconscious, an Iwagakure headband tied around his forehead.

"Shouldn't there be three of them?" I asked and Deidara shrugged. "The third one probably got lost. Let's go."

And so we continued on ahead.

* * *

 **Every time I watched Shikamaru fight with his Shadow jutsu, especially in Shippuuden, I thought how that shadow of his could have so much more uses than depicted. We've only ever seen them (Nara clan) using Shadow Bind and Shadow Possession but in case of Shadow Stitching they literally make shadows physical objects, so I thought "hell, if Shikamaru can choke people with his shadow then he can do all kinds of things with it." But he never really does, both because his character is the scheming type, doesn't have that much chakra and probably not that much chakra control either (not to say he isn't powerful; he is but it's because how smart he is). So I gave Sayomi more of that Yin chakra that enables Nara clan to use their Shadow jutsu, a method to learn how to control it (meditation as advised by Onoki) and creativity to do what she wants with it (inspiration provided by Deidara).**

 **I know I said next chapter will be in a week but it's my birthday today so I'm giving you a bonus chapter. Next chapter is really really long because I put more battles for their time in the mine. I'll put it up either Wednesday or Thursday.**

 **Okay, thanks a lot for reading and reviewing and make sure to drop some more feedback to make me happy :D**


	12. Part 1, Chapter 11

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Akatsuchi kept checking every so often whether we were going in the right direction, which was a feat for itself because the mine's inner corridors were like a maze. Sometimes we would go up, other times the hallway would descend rapidly, and if it weren't for light around us we would have fallen in one of the many holes in the floor.

At one point Deidara and Akatsuchi debated about making a tunnel straight across and to the exit, but Akatsuchi said he neither has chakra for such a feat nor could the mine's structure take it. Deidara wasn't exactly happy about that but I told him that us taking a minor detour was nothing compared to being buried alive.

We moved around fast but careful and it had been at least two hours since our last run-in with an enemy team. I could see Deidara wanted to fight some more since this was a perfect opportunity to test our skills. Even though he was still cool and calm I could see signs of impatience in the way he moved.

After a while we switched positions and now I was the one going first and really I should have been more careful but I accidentally tripped on a string. Nothing happened; a trap didn't activate, kunai didn't rain down on us, but it was weird. Why would someone leave a string just like that?

I decided to share what happened just in case.

"Alert system." Deidara said with a smirk. Of course, I was so dumb.

"Huh?"

"We triggered the alert system that was left behind by someone. Now they know we're here." I explained to Akatsuchi.

"So, we should be attacked now?" We looked around as he said that. "I don't feel anything."

"Me neither."

No one came out to attack us and after a couple of minutes we concluded the smartest thing to do would be to get away from that spot as quickly as possible. Deidara was angry because of the disappointment, but his wish for battle was fullfilled the moment I stepped into another underground chamber and saw a shape moving in front of me. I didn't have a mere second to warn Deidara and Akatsuchi because that person already yelled "Fuuton: Wind Bullets!"

Massive gusts of wind acting like bullets propelled us back into the corridor we came from. My fall was slightly less painful because I landed on Deidara and Akatsuchi but I became pissed off for not being quicker to react.

"A Fuuton user, un?"

"Oi, two of his teammates are missing." I said, propping myself up. "Katon: Flame Bullet!" Someone behind us said and my eyes widened. I looked at Deidara who, while still lying on the floor, flipped on his stomach and glanced at Akatsuchi, before both of them yelled "Doton: Moving Earth Core!"

Our portion of the floor sank down and I saw how fire passed above us, heating up the rocks all around.

"I'll take care of the Fuuton guy." Deidara said, going inside the earth wall with Hide Like a Mole. Before I could even turn to Akatsuchi he went the other way with the same Technique while I remained standing on the sunk part of the floor.

"Are you kidding me?" I didn't like being left out of a fight and this only angered me further because I was left in such a place. I gritted my teeth, deciding to kick both of their asses for doing this to me. I took my kunai, aiming it at the earth wall above the hole and then doing a seal, guiding my shadow to the kunai and hooking it around it to form a rope. I managed to exit the hole like that and as I did I noticed a girl nearby, bearing an Iwagakure headband.

We shared a look for a second before both of us made a seal.

"Katon: Flame Bullet!" She yelled yet I wrapped my shadow around her ankle, yanking it and making her lose her balance. Her flame bullet went into the pit and not at me and I exhaled, jumping behind her. I planned to push her in but she dodged me, taking out her kunai and attacking me with it.

My next plan was to gradually make her move back to the pit but during our fight I noticed her kunai became red and soon started to steam. I guess she charged it with her Fire release chakra but I've had enough of getting burned so I did a front flip in order to get behind her. She slashed at air and cut lower part of my braid, however I had no time to worry about that. I slashed at her kunai pouch, making it drop on the ground.

"If you're looking for the scroll, it's not on me." She smirked.

I didn't answer her, hitting her arm with my leg. She still refused to drop the kunai she was holding so I bit my lip, thinking of another strategy. I had to fend her off for a while longer before an opening finally appeared and I jumped on the other side of the pit, making sure there's enough space between me and the pit.

Then it was finally time to wipe that smirk off her face.

I connected my shadow to hers, but this time it was the expanded version of my Shadow Bind, one that made me in control of her movements. I opened my right hand and she followed, at last dropping that damned kunai out of her hand. Her eyes widened once she figured she was no longer in control of her body. After that was taken care of I began to walk straight towards the pit, knowing my calculations were correct. She was closer to the pit than I was so on my fourth step she was already on the edge of it. "No!" She shouted but I made the fifth step, quickly letting go of her shadow. She fell in, letting out a scream.

"Katon: Flame bullet!" Fire passed in front of my nose but she didn't have a way to exit the pit without her kunai, and I made sure to get rid of them all. I inhaled, turning to see neither Akatsuchi nor Deidara were in the corridor. I decided to leave the girl where she is and go look for the two of them. I ran to the direction of the underground chamber, knowing that's where Deidara went.

Once I entered the room though, I was met with explosions that shook the entire chamber. I saw someone laying on the right part of the room where the floor was severely cracked. I bolted across the room to another corridor, entering in just as the portion of the floor collapsed. Deidara was already there, watching the Fuuton guy fall to his demise. His breathing was heavy but he was twirling yet another scroll in between his fingers, so overall he was okay.

"Where's Akatsuchi?" He asked as he saw me.

"No idea. I had to fight the Katon girl." I shook my head. "By the way, thanks for leaving me in the pit!"

"I thought Akatsuchi would take care of her and then come get you, un." He furrowed his brows.

"No, she almost spit her Flame Bullet into the pit and incinerated me. I got out just in time."

"Where is that dumbass?" He became angry and I rolled my eyes. "Just don't do something stupid like that again."

"Well I definitely won't leave it to Akatsuchi next time, un." He still didn't get it.

"Akatsuchi went the other way with Hide like a Mole. Maybe you can find him like that." I tried to switch the topic since we had a more pressing matter.

"I can't find people like that."

"Great, that means we lost him." I threw my hands in the air. "So, what should we do? Go in the same direction he went or-"

"No, let's continue to the exit."

"You think?" He nodded. "If he uses his brain at all he'll dig his way to the exit and wait for us there, un."

"This is supposed to be a team exam." I muttered.

"Well he shouldn't have gone on his own, then."

"It's not about me being left alone, it's about leaving me _in the pit._ It was pure luck my kunai were able to pierce through the earth around me or I would have been burned alive!" I yelled and he stopped, looking at me. "Just, next time, return the floor back to normal before going wherever you want to go. Okay?" His eyes burned bright blue even under the dim light and I suddenly became aware how much I leaned towards him in my fit of rage.

I felt my cheeks burning and I took a step back, just in time to evade Akatsuchi exiting the earth underneath us.

"Found you!"

"Where the hell were you?" Both Deidara and me yelled and he smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"I got into a fight with the third team member. He was just behind the Katon girl. Then I went back in to find you two." I put my hand on my forehead, taking a deep breath.

"You said it's impossible to find people through that Technique yet he managed to do that." I said to Deidara.

"Oh, I heard you yelling, Sayomi. That's how I found you." I looked away, not knowing whether to be angry or to blush.

"Let's just go already." I was slowly getting sick of this mine.

"Wait a minute, I have a bone to pick with this idiot here, un."

"Oh drop it Deidara." I cut him off and Akatsuchi exited the hole so we moved forward, finally.

Maybe an hour later, or two, it was hard to tell how much time passed while being underground, we met with the tallest hallway so far. That told us that we're either really close to the exit or really far.

"Akatsuchi, I think you should check our position again." I reminded him but Deidara knelt down, clapping his hands. "I'll do that, un. Maybe he's leading us in the wrong direction the whole time." Akatsuchi opened his mouth to argue but I stopped him, trying not to roll my eyes.

Not a minute later he exited the earth behind us.

"That was fast." Akatsuchi said while Deidara dusted himself off. "We are going in the wrong direction. We need to go back and to another corridor."

"No way!" Akatsuchi took that as a blow and I sighed. "I just checked, I know what I'm talking about." Akatsuchi furrowed his brows and I waved for him to follow Deidara back to where we came from.

"How come you've been able to check the magnet forces so quickly?" Akatsuchi asked as we took a turn.

"I guess I'm just better than you." My eyes narrowed slightly. Something wasn't right.

"Tenchi is the fastest in that and I don't remember him training you. Where did you learn that?"

"I learned it by myself, where else?" Something definitely wasn't right.

"You have to explain it to me later."

"Since when am I your sensei?" That's it, I've had enough. I put my hands in a seal, connecting my shadow to Deidara's and locking him in place.

"What's going on?" He yelled and Akatsuchi turned to me, his eyes widening as he saw my hands in a seal, my face grim as can be.

"That's not Deidara." I said and Akatsuchi looked at fake Deidara I was entrapping.

"What do you mean that's not Deidara? He looks like Deidara-"

"He doesn't _talk_ like Deidara." I didn't expect Akatsuchi getting what I was talking about.

"Will you stop her already?" Fake Deidara said to Akatuschi but he instead scratched his head.

"Are you sure, Sayomi?" I nodded and Akatsuchi punched the fake Deidara, making him fall on the ground.

"I've managed to trick two teams with this jutsu." Fake Deidara said, looking at us. "It worked numerous times before and now you catch me because of the way I talk? I even listened in on you to make sure I get his way of speech right." He seemed pissed off, his lip bleeding.

"Pfft, don't make me laugh." I broke the seal because Akatsuchi kept looming over the fake Deidara and I was feeling rather annoyed at whoever decided to play us with such a cheap trick. "Your attention to detail is disappointing." Too late did I see fake Deidara looking at someone behind us and giving a slight nod.

"Doton: Earth Wall!" Someone yelled behind us and I managed to see another Iwa shinobi halfway through the hole in the floor, his hands on the ground and a smirk on his face. Then a wall separated Akatsuchi and me from the corridor we've come through.

"Oh come on." I muttered, now regretting undoing the seal that trapped fake Deidara. Fake Deidara changed to an Iwa genin...a female Iwa genin. That confused Akatsuchi so much he let her escape him and hide behind a third Iwa shinobi that appeared in a span of a minute. He was coming closer to us, rubbing his hands together and I could tell we were in serious danger.

"Beware of the girl, she can trap you with her jutsu." Snitch!

"Hah, as if anyone stands a chance against my Raiton!" The guy said and Akatsuchi let out a "Uh oh."

"Raiton: Lightning Cage!" Lightning propelled through the ground and I jumped on the wall beside me, trying to glue myself to it with chakra coated palms. It worked, but not entirely, and I began to slide down and towards the lightning coming out of the floor. I didn't have a solid footing which I needed in order to perform my seals, and I was getting closer and closer to lightning. Akatsuchi had a different idea than I did; he put his hands on the wall on his right, saying: "Doton: Tunneling Technique!" He didn't finish it though because his arm got cut by a lightning bolt, making him stop abruptly and hide himself in the beginning of his tunnel in the wall.

The guy laughed and raised one of his hands to high-five his female teammate. Him doing so greatly decreased the power of his lightning even though it was still coming from the ground, making it unable to land safely.

"Akatsuchi, get a grip!" Even though I needed to get a grip on the wall before I fall. There wasn't enough space on the floor to safely stand since lightning bolts kept shooting from the ground, forming a giant web above the floor. However, I soon noticed a slight opening between the edge of the wall and the rest of the floor covered with the lightning web. It was so tiny I would have to stand on one foot to make it, but I was desperate for a footing. I needed it to free my hands and make a seal for my shadow jutsu. If I don't trap him now that he's fooling around high-fiving people in the middle of a fight, we're done for.

But the lightning bolts...they were not only loud but provided additional illumination so I would have to make my shadow go up the wall and across the ceiling in order to make it. Also, the whole thought of me getting hit by a lightning wasn't very appealing.

I bit the inside of my lip before lowering myself on that tiny portion of the floor, standing on tiptoes of my right foot, my left leg up and my back centimeters away from the wall. It was a horrible position yet I took a deep breath and did a seal, moving my shadow around and trapping both of them. Because of my restricted space I couldn't use my advanced Shadow Bind jutsu to control their movements so even though his right hand was in the middle of a high-five, his left hand remained on the ground.

His jutsu continued in spite of me entrapping them. It was the worst possible outcome.

"The jutsu won't stop until I raise my hand off the ground." Yeah, I've figured.

"I told you to get rid of her first. Now we're both trapped!" The girl behind him raged.

"She won't hold out long." He smirked at me and I was really feeling myself on the edge of falling if I make one wrong move. Well this was just great.

"Akatsuchi!" I saw he was still hiding in the hole in the wall and I've really had enough of it. "What the hell are you doing?" Where is Deidara when you need him?

Right, where is Deidara?

"Doton is vulnerable against Raiton, I can't use my techniques!" Akatsuchi yelled back and I almost lost my balance. Now both the guy and the girl began to laugh and taunt me yet I concentrated on Akatsuchi.

"Are you being serious right now? You're not even going to fight because of it?"

"But-"

"I trapped both of them in my shadow, I only need you to dig your way to them and finish this off!" He peeked from his hole, his eyes widening once he saw me. His hand was bleeding near the elbow but he nodded and disappeared in the earth. He exited it on the other end of the hallway, behind the two, who now began to panic.

The wall behind me exploded just as Akatsuchi coated his hand in earth and punched both of our attackers. The explosion, which had to be Deidara's doing, rocked the floor and I finally lost my balance, as dreaded. One lightning bolt cut my left thigh but before I was wounded even more the lightning stopped, since Akatsuchi rendered the two unconscious.

I fell on the ground, holding my thigh and dragging deep breaths because the pain was shocking and sharp.

"What the hell? Where were you two?" Deidara asked as the smoke cleared, revealing the third enemy shinobi lying on the floor motionless. He saw me on the floor and came closer, crouching next to me. Fishnets below my shorts became dark red and I thought how I should stop the bleeding but the sting was what kept my hands away from the wound.

"I hate Raiton. I hate it so much." I kept saying, not knowing whether to put pressure on the wound or not. Akatsuchi sat next to me, his hand also bleeding like hell, throwing one more scroll on the ground.

"There's not a single person in Iwa who doesn't hate Raiton, un." I eyed him. "You too?" He nodded.

"You have bandages on you, right?" Deidara asked and I shook my head.

"I have them." Akatsuchi took off his backpack and Deidara rummaged through it, pulling out bandages and handing them to me. "But it stings so much, I don't know if-"

"You have to stop the bleeding, un." I exhaled. "Fine." Akatsuchi told Deidara what happened while I bandaged my thigh, blinking tears from my eyes. It stung like hell.

Then I bandaged Akatsuchi's arm. "Once I resurfaced I found only the guy that trapped you with the wall. You should have seen his face once he saw me, un."

"Yeah, they completely forgot about you." I shook my head, cracking a laugh. " _I even listened in on you to make sure I get his way of speech right._ " I made a face and me and Akatsuchi burst out laughing.

"They tricked me all right. I really thought it was you, Deidara. You even argued with me like you always do. But Sayomi caught her slip up." I smiled slightly, tying a knot on his bandages.

"By the way, we are going in the right direction. I could sense wind farther down, un." Deidara relayed.

"I told you I wasn't misleading you!" Akatsuchi pointed a finger at Deidara.

"No one said you were you idiot!" I tried not to roll my eyes.

I slowly stood up and made a few steps, concluding I could walk no problem. When I tried to jump or crouch though, the motion would put pressure on my thigh and the pain would cut through all over again. I hoped there will be no more endless pits, or any sort of fight in general.

So with me and Akatsuchi feeling beaten, my chakra also down significantly, we continued on. After another two hours or so we all felt a change in the air which meant a source of ventilation was nearby. A wave of relief washed over me so I enthusiastically turned my speed up a notch, which proved to be a bad idea because I only strained my leg further. I tried not to show it but Deidara noticed me making faces because of the pain and proposed a small pit stop.

Akatsuchi put his hands on the wall while I leaned on it, trying to ignore the red splotch that soaked through my bandages.

"I feel people moving this way." He said all of a sudden. "We should move on."

"No, we should get rid of them." Deidara took out a handful of clay spiders from his pouch, giving them to Akatsuchi.

"You go in with Hide Like a Mole and leave them all around the exit. Then wait for us there, un."

"Uuh..."

"Oh, mines." I snapped my fingers and Deidara smirked. "Exactly. I've come up with this once I went to check the direction but it seemed like a waste of time because the exit was so close."

"Oh I get it." Akatsuchi put the spiders in his pockets. "Then, see you at the exit?" We nodded. He disappeared and I sighed, moving away from the wall. Deidara then crouched in front of me.

"Get on."

"Huh?" I stared at him like I've never seen him before in my life.

"You can't run with a leg like this and you can't walk fast either. So, get on, un."

"But-" He turned, his blue eyes telling me to comply. He was right, I just didn't want to be additional baggage.

Regardless of him giving me a piggyback ride, Deidara was fast and after a couple of minutes I relaxed. My chakra reserve was almost back at its full potential and I used the opportunity to recover from the whole ordeal, if only for a little bit. Also, his hair was really soft.

I felt fresh air moving around me and soon enough I saw an opening down the corridor we were in. Akatsuchi exited the earth right as we approached the exit.

"We made it!" Akatsuchi cheered and I chuckled. Deidara grinned, making a seal and triggering a chain of explosions inside the walls. They rocked the whole mine and sounds of collapse echoed through. However, all we had to do was take two steps in front and exit the mine, completing our mission.

Sun was low on the horizon, and since I know we entered it around eight to nine in the morning, it seems we spent the majority of the day inside the mine.

Our eyes soon caught a sight of Onoki-sensei and Kitsuchi a bit far ahead.

"Of course it had to be you three to catch me in my slip up." Onoki-sensei said as the two of them approached us.

"Slip up?" I raised my eyebrow.

"No one specified you cannot exit through the entrance." Kitsuchi said with a slight smirk and we grinned.

"But you just had to blow up the whole mine in the process." Deidara put me down, laughing at Onoki-sensei's observation.

"Do you still have the scroll with you?" He asked and all three of us went for our pouches. Akatsuchi and I pulled out one scroll each while Deidara pulled out two. We dropped them on the ground and Onoki-sensei stuttered: "That's three teams you've eliminated."

We smirked, feeling triumphant.

"Congratulations, you are the third group to exit the mine." Kitsuchi said.

"Third?" We stopped gloating, wondering why we were only the third group to exit.

"Kurotsuchi and her group came first. One older group of Iwagakure Genin came out second." Great, why did Kurotsuchi have to be first.

"The rules state you will fight for your spot in the third exam in accordance with the time of your arrival. So, your fight will be with the group that comes after you."

"When will that fight be?" Akatsuchi asked.

"Tomorrow morning." Onoki-sensei nodded. "Yes, tomorrow morning in Arena B. We have to wait for the rest of the teams to exit the mine, or at least for the search party to retrieve them-"

"Onoki-dono." A jonin appeared, a bit out of breath. "I'm sorry for interrupting you but Ishikage asks for you to prepare a fighting area."

"I have." He shook his head in annoyance.

"No, he meant right now. The fourth team exited the mine moments ago and it is the first Ishiagakure group to do so. Ishikage demands for them to fight the third group right away." Onoki-sensei gritted his teeth.

"Tell that Old Sack of Bones I cannot stage an impromptu fight like that just because he wants it! We have a schedule ready for tomorrow morning; first two teams fight at nine, third and fourth at eleven, and so on. Who does he think he is, demanding a change like that?" I tried to swallow down my laughter because hearing Onoki-sensei call someone an Old Sack of Bones reminded me so much of Deidara calling him an Old Geezer.

"I tried telling him that but he insists you will humour him out of the friendly relations you two spoke of earlier." I could see Onoki-sensei regretted the whole Ishiagakure ordeal that instant.

"Well, it seems you will have to comply Old Man." Kitsuchi said and Onoki-sensei sighed. I glanced at my leg and Onoki-sensei caught that.

"Sayomi, if your wounds are serious-"

"They're not! I'm fine, I can fight." If I back off now the whole team will be disqualified. He gave me a look but then nodded. "Fine. This one request I won't deny. But only because I have to show him my students can easily beat his." He looked at the three of us. "Iwagakure shinobi should never lose, especially against Ishiagakure shinobi. Don't disappoint me."

I exhaled before Akatsuchi handed me an energy bar from his backpack, his own already half-eaten.

"As a matter of fact, they are probably eager to fight you because they know you three beat up rogue Ishiagakure shinobi." Kitsuchi added. That again.

"And they will be no different, un." I chuckled.

"Kitsuchi, make sure Arena A is ready. I'll go find the judge."

* * *

 **Y'all favoriting but you ain't reviewing, smh.**

 **Also, Sayomi doesn't know that her Shadow jutsus have official names so she either doesn't bother thinking up the names or just calls them the expanded version of that one technique she knows the name of (Shadow Bind).**

 **Thank you for reading and don't forget to drop a review :)**


	13. Part 1, Chapter 12

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Sayomi's POV**

We walked in Arena A with about an hour until sunset. That fact didn't matter to anyone else but me since I knew that just before sunset is the perfect time to trick my enemies with my Shadow jutsu. It was impossible to track one shadow in particular with other shadows all around the place.

We were waiting for the Ishiagakure team to arrive in the arena and so far they kept us waiting. I was scanning the arena, remembering the layout, even though there was nothing particular to remember about a plain oval fighting area. Akatsuchi was dozing off while standing and Deidara was slowly becoming more and more pissed off about us being kept waiting. His hands were crossed and he kept tapping his foot on the ground. It didn't surprise me that he was annoyed though. We were rushed in here as soon as we learned we'll have to fight the Ishiagakure ninja right away. They didn't postpone it even for a second so a medic ninja could inspect my leg and everyone seemingly ignored that we spent the entire day in the mine fighting for our place in this exam. Frankly, if it weren't for Akatsuchi taking energy bars with him despite our protests, we would be in even worse state. So making us wait for them was just provoking us further.

I glanced at the spectator area but only Onoki-sensei and the Ishikage were seated there. I thought more jonin would join in as spectators but I guess they were still waiting for the rest of the teams to exit the mine. Hell, not even the village elders were present. Though maybe it was bedtime for them.

"If they don't come in a matter of minute I'll-" Deidara was cut off by: "Deidara-nii, Sayomi-nee, Akatsuchi!" We turned to the spectator area only to see Kurotsuchi waving at us, grin on her face.

"Oh great, un." Deidara rolled his eyes.

"Good luck!"

"Why is she up there?" I asked, seeing her team being the only one up there besides Onoki-sensei and the Ishikage.

Before anyone could answer me, the enemy team appeared. One girl and two guys, dressed in beige ninja gear with Ishiagakure headbands around their necks.

"Are you for real? Those are the guys that took down Tsukiko and Natsuki?" The guy with a bandana said while the two of his teammates laughed.

"You three look just as pathetic as those two were, un!" Deidara yelled back and they glared at him. Now I was the one who laughed.

"You will be easy opponents." The redheaded guy said, cracking his knuckles.

"Oh yeah, that's what Tsukiko and Natsuki said before we beat them to a pulp." I said and Deidara snickered. This whole taunting thing was actually fun.

"Tch, we'll show you what Ishiagakure shinobi are capable of!" The girl yelled and a jonin came closer, clearing his throat.

"And I'll show you art you've never seen before!" That confused them and they stopped talking so the jonin finally got a chance to speak.

"This is second part of your Chuunin exams. It is an official fight so please keep that in mind. The fight ends if the enemy team is incapacitated and I will interfere only if I judge the situation has become life threatening. Understood?" The enemy team smirked so we narrowed our eyes at them. Oh it was on.

The jonin then moved to the spectator area before blowing his whistle and announcing the start of the fight. In a fraction of a second the guy with red hair knelt down and put his hands on the ground.

"Doton: Mudslide!"

Ground beneath me changed into a mud pool and my legs sank halfway up to my shins. The mud was so thick that I resorted to pulling my leg up with my hands, ignoring the sting of my wound. I didn't get very far with that because the girl then yelled "Fuuton: South Wind Trumpet!", sending gusts of wind towards us.

Well, not at us, but at the mud in which we were standing in. The air was warm and the mud solidified, becoming hard as a rock. Now I was even more stuck than before.

This was bad.

I looked at Akatsuchi and Deidara who were both struggling just like me, equally pissed off at our situation. I glanced at the enemy trio and saw that the guy who did the mudslide still hasn't stood up, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Right, doing such a devastating long range jutsu must have taken a lot out of him. The girl was taking deep breaths, circling around us and occasionally blowing more wind towards the mud.

Deidara then turned to me, "Where's the third one?" He was observing them as well as I and right as he said that my eyes widened. I saw him a second ago, where did he-

He appeared on the side of the arena wall, opening up a scroll and sending a wave of shuriken and kunai straight at the three of us trapped in the mud, unable to move or evade his attack. Akatsuchi brought his hands closer in order to form a seal, Deidara went for his clay pouch while I did the first thing that popped in my mind.

"Ninja art: Shadow wall!" I yelled, my hands in a seal and my shadow, now connected with other shadows in the area, surrounded the three of us before extending into a strip of dark that swallowed the weapons. I kept the so-called wall up, making it taller in order to prevent the enemy from finding out we were still alive and well.

"Good thing I was your test subject for that one, un." I tried not to smile at Deidara's remark but I couldn't help myself.

"What do we do about the mud?" I asked and Deidara threw three spiders between the two of us, since we were the closest, making them explode. The mud cracked and he moved for maybe a step until another gust of wind cemented him in place once again.

"So she has to keep doing it." He turned to Akatsuchi. "Oi, Akatsuchi, can't you punch it to pieces?" Akatsuchi was already doing that, his fist coated in earth. "It's not working. Once it cracks the wind repairs it."

"That doesn't make any sense." I muttered, my brows furrowed. "Whatever, I'll blow it up. That'll show them, un." He opened his pouch and his face lost all colour.

"What? What is it?" I asked and he gritted his teeth. "It's all because the Old Geezer didn't-"

"You're out of clay, aren't you?"

"Yes I'm out of clay!" Oh he really was pissed. He took a kunai out of his pouch and I mentally patted myself on the back.

"I have clay." He looked at me as if I'm crazy.

"What?"

"I have clay." I repeated. "I took extra just in case." I got embarrassed. He smirked.

"I can't give it to you without undoing the seal though."

"I'll take care of that, un. Which pouch is it?"

"On my waist, the left one." He put kunai in his mouth, leaning closer to me as his hands went around me in order to untie the pouch from my belt. I could feel his breath on my face but I ignored him and concentrated on the shadow wall. "Got it." He said, strapping my pouch to himself and putting the kunai away.

"Deidara, I have an idea." Akatsuchi said and we looked at him. "You should charge your fist like Gari does and smash the mud. Then I'll deepen the crack with my Doton."

"Or I could just throw explosives at it."

"They only make the surface crack. We need to crack the whole layer in order to reach the normal earth underneath it." For once Akatsuchi was talking sense. I've never seen him so knowledgeable.

Now Deidara hesitated. "They did only crack the surface layer, un. Then the girl easily repaired it with her Fuuton." He put the clay away, looking dissatisfied but proceeding with the plan.

"I don't think the area behind the guy who did this has turned into mud so we should head there. Akatsuchi you take care of him so he doesn't do it again." Akatsuchi nodded. "We should avoid ground altogether and stick to the walls of the arena." I added.

Deidara looked at me. "I don't have much clay so my explosives have to meet their mark, un." I knew what he meant. The two of us will take care of the Fuuton girl and the bandana guy.

"On the count of three...One, two-" Deidara raised his fist and Akatsuchi followed. "Three!"

The explosion shattered the mud to pieces, sending them flying all around. Akatsuchi finished the whole ordeal with his punch and as soon as I could wiggle my legs I dropped the shadow wall, jumping to the right side of the arena. Deidara was already fusing his clay and I saw the trio looking shocked, both because we weren't wounded at all from the weapons they were sending at us and because we managed to get away from their jutsu. Akatsuchi was running on the left side of the arena, beneath the spectator area. Deidara and myself were on the right part and I threw a couple of kunai down the wall just in case I need to hook up my shadow anytime soon.

The girl came to her senses first and went to the weapons guy who was still looking distraught. "All my weapons have completely disappeared!" I heard him say but she shut him up. Akatsuchi was now engaged in taijutsu with the redhaired guy and I tried to come up with a strategy while I had the chance. Deidara was still concentrated on fusing.

"I need a more stable footing in order to catch them in my shadow." I said. "Yeah, just give me a moment, un."

The guy took another scroll from his pouch and pulled from it a giant shuriken. He threw it towards us and the girl blew her Fuuton at it, increasing its speed. I once again did a seal and used my shadow to swallow the shuriken even though we felt the wind coming through.

"I think she's using her shadow." Girl commented while the guy grew even more pissed off about me easily rendering his weapons useless. I decided that trying to trap them in my shadow would leave us open to their weapons so I kept it close to me instead.

"Doton: Earth clone!" They both yelled and soon their clones ran down the edge of the wall and towards us. I engaged with them, trying to give Deidara more time but the girl clone deliberately charged at Deidara. He stopped with fusing and took her on. I had a feeling the clones were just a decoy and soon proved my suspicions. More weapons came at us from the other side of the arena and while making sure I'm blocking my attacker's hits with my legs, used my hands to form a seal and put up a shadow wall yet again. Just as I did that, the girl who was fighting with Deidara turned around and swept my legs. I lost my balance and had to undo the seal in order to make my palms meet with the wall and stop myself from falling. I used that to push myself out of the harms way and behind Deidara. The moment I landed behind him I put the wall back in place, right as he threw explosives at the girl. My shadow wall swallowed his bombs and my eyes widened as I retracted it and saw that indeed, the clay figurines Deidara threw a moment ago had completely disappeared.

Deidara looked at me, his face between anger and shock but I couldn't explain myself to him because I was so baffled by the whole thing. My shadow wall couldn't swallow things fueled by chakra, we already checked that. I had scars to prove it. Why the hell did it swallow Deidara's bombs when they were fueled with his chakra just the same?

The girl clone now shifted her attention towards me and I stood my ground against her just fine, even though I was still trying to wrap my head around the situation, and probably because of that had I failed to notice that the real girl came up behind me. I was concentrated on delivering punches to her clone when her fist closed around my braid and used it to throw me off the wall.

Again! Someone pulled me on my braid _again_.

I became so enraged that instead of focusing on safely landing I made a seal and my shadow moved behind the two girls. I wanted to sweep them off the wall but instead saw a bunch of white balls escaping my shadow.

My eyes widened as I recognized Deidara's clay spiders.

"Deidara!" I yelled and he kicked his own guy clone in the face before turning around and noticing the explosives. He wasted no time on putting his hands in a seal, making figurines explode right behind them, explosion sending the girl and her clone off the wall. I hooked up my shadow around Deidara's arm and stopped myself from meeting the ground. I ran up the wall and kicked the second guy down to the ground while Deidara dropped explosives after them. They both protected themselves with their Doton clones that were now in shambles and we retreated closer to where Akatsuchi was. He left half of the arena ground completely cracked and now joined us on the wall, his breathing heavy and his forehead bleeding. The redheaded guy he was fighting with had his leg trapped in one of the holes but made area around himself mud again, and Akatsuchi couldn't come closer to finish him off because of it.

Even though we were taking a breather I put my hands in a seal and tried to capture the girl with my shadow. She noticed it and jumped up, throwing kunai at me and I retracted my shadow in order to shield us. Now that I stopped moving I could feel my wounded leg hurting like hell but I decided to ignore it for the time being.

"Doton: Mudslide!" The red-haired guy now coated the whole arena ground in his pool of mud. The ground was now a giant trap, but in order to do so he trapped himself too.

"What a fool. Took himself out with chakra exhaustion, un." Deidara was right, the guy looked completely beaten up from the whole thing.

The bandana guy pulled out two more scrolls and sent a wave of shuriken at us. I frowned at him because the whole thing was utterly pointless against my Shadow jutsu. One would think he already figured that out. Then the girl came on our side and said "Fuuton: South Wind Gust!" Her wind was way stronger now and it paired up nicely with explosive tags hidden on a couple of kunai that came at us.

We got away, blinking smoke from our eyes. Then I heard Deidara mutter: "We can do better than that."

I looked at him and he raised his eyebrow in a challenging manner. I pursed my lips, trying not to laugh, placing my hands in a seal. He threw a couple of his explosives in my shadow and I felt excited because we finally formed a solid plan.

"Akatsuchi, find something to throw at them!" I yelled and he nodded, going the other way. Deidara and I ran towards the girl who for a second looked afraid because of us charging straight at her despite the wind. The bandana guy appeared and tried to punch me but I avoided him, taking the girl straight on and leaving him to Deidara. Of course, us engaging in taijutsu with them was just a decoy. We dragged that on, slowly taking our positions in circle of the two, my back to Deidara's back. They thought they had us surrounded but it was actually the opposite. Once we took our position I made my shadow wrap around the two of us, imagining Deidara's explosives exiting through the shadow strip. I couldn't see whether it worked but Deidara put his hands in a seal regardless.

The explosives got them at point blank and while they tried to shield themselves from it, in vain, we came up behind them, sending them towards the red-haired guy in the ground with out kicks.

"Akatsuchi!" Deidara yelled and Akatsuchi, who managed to dislodge a giant piece of the wall and was now holding it in his rock fist as if it weighed nothing, threw the rock at the three of them now stuck in mud. Deidara followed with his explosives, detonating them just as the whistle went off.

We won.

I looked at the spectator area and to my surprise found it completely full. A lot of jonins were sitting and watching the fight with Kitsuchi standing behind Onoki-sensei who was smirking, his hands crossed.

"Woohoo! Good work Akatsuchi! That was awesome Deidara-nii, Sayomi-nee!" Kurotsuchi yelled, jumping up and down. I burst out laughing, feeling myself so tired. I glanced at Deidara who was smirking and Akatsuchi came closer, extending his rock fist for a group fist-bump.

Some of the jonins clapped and others cheered because of us defending Iwagakure pride. Ishikage and his group of jonin said nothing but left the spectator area so we went there, sitting down. Well, I laid on the floor because I was so beat.

"Congratulations you three. It was a good fight." Kitsuchi said.

"You three have good teamwork." I recognized it was Rin who said that but Kitsuchi laughed. "Yeah, _two_ of them really do." I smiled, my eyes closed.

"Well people, let's go back to the mine. We'll soon have to start recovering the missing teams." He said and left with the rest of the jonin. Onoki-sensei then came to us.

"As expected of my students. Ishikage pulled out the 'they were too tired to fight properly' card, but he was always a sore loser." Deidara glanced at me. "Your leg is bleeding again, un." I waved my hand. "Thought so. I had no time to worry about that."

"You got better in handling pain."

"No, it still hurts like hell." I chuckled. "I'm too full of adrenaline to notice it."

"Or too tired, un." He laid on the empty chairs, following me and Akatsuchi.

"Oh come on, stop whining!" Kurotsuchi circled around us. "I wanna fight too grandpa! When's our fight?"

"Other teams fight tomorrow, Kurotsuchi. Your next exam will be announced after that but will probably be postponed until the next week." Onoki-sensei said.

"Do we have to be here tomorrow then?" I asked.

"No, you're free."

"Yes!" We cheered.

"But you should watch the fights just in case. You never know who your next opponent might be." Kurotsuchi added.

"Despite all of you training on your own you have good coordination. As for overall communication, one channel dominates." He looked at me and Deidara in particular. "But I guess nothing can be done about that." He sighed, going towards the exit.

"You won't praise us some more, Old Geezer?"

"I'll praise you when you become Chuunin. Anything more than this and it will get to your head and you'll fail your third exam. Get some rest but don't neglect your training." He said, leaving the area.

"Typical grandpa." Kurotsuchi crossed her hands. "But I thought the whole thing was really cool! A couple of jonins were surprised by your explosives, Deidara-nii. They asked grandpa whether you are in the Explosion Unit and if you were, why aren't you fighting like Gari and the rest do." Deidara smirked. "Did he tell them it's because my art is better than that, un?"

"I don't think he said anything." She muttered. "You use Shadow jutsu, don't you Sayomi-nee?"

"That's right."

"I'll have to remember that. Akatsuchi, why didn't you use your gol - Akatsuchi?" She poked Akatsuchi in the shoulder. "I think he's sleeping." I burst out laughing.

"I wish I was."

"Why did you take extra clay?" Deidara turned to me. "I thought we would be in the mine longer. You also enjoy detonating them so-" I shrugged.

"Also, since when is your shadow able to swallow my explosives, un?"

"I have no idea. It shouldn't be possible to swallow anything fueled with chakra."

"We even proved that with my Bakuton specifically." I nodded. "I can't make any sense of it."

"Overall, your fight was really cool. But if you went against us, you wouldn't stand a chance!" Kurotsuchi gave up trying to wake Akatsuchi.

"Did the Old Geezer tell you what's the third exam?" She nodded. "It's one on one fight. Whoever wins it becomes chuunin."

"So we'll have to win the fight no matter what." I muttered.

"I guess fighting in teams again would be too easy, un." I smiled, closing my eyes.

"We already proved there's no one who stands a chance against us."

* * *

 **Writing fights is hard but I think I nailed it. (I think so...)**

 **Thank you for reading and if you'd review it that'd be swell. See ya next week.**


	14. Part 1, Chapter 13

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Sayomi's POV**

I slept in late the next day. It was hard not to after having completed two parts of the Chuunin exam in one day. I was fighting for the entire time and my chakra exhaustion hit me hard. On top of that I was also wounded. So after the medic ninja treated my wound I didn't even eat dinner, I straight up collapsed in my bed and slept through the entire tomorrow morning.

A part of me knew Kurotsuchi was right. We should be watching other teams fight in order to learn what types of jutsu do they all employ. I couldn't make myself follow her example when no one said it's mandatory. So I took the batteries out of my alarm clock and slept until noon. Which was more than twelve hours of sleep.

Once I woke up I went to take a shower and inspected my wound and all the bruises that appeared on my body throughout the night. I was yawning still, feeling drained, and soon enough my stomach growled and I figured I really was drained. Last thing I ate was an energy bar and later I was more tired than hungry so I skipped dinner altogether. Critical mistake on my part.

I went to the makeshift doors between me and Deidara, knocking on them. I tried twice but he didn't answer.

"Oi, Deidara? You alive?" No answer. "I'm coming in!" No sound left the room so I opened the doors and came in. His blond hair sprawled over the pillow told me he was still sleeping. I came closer and found him lying on his back, sleeping soundly.

I thought about leaving him alone but I was so hungry and didn't want to go out to eat by myself. I poked him in the arm. "Deidara." I kept poking him but he didn't respond. I took the alarm clock from the nightstand beside his bed and timed it for three minutes, thinking how that will surely wake him up.

I was still counting all the various sculptures scattered across every available surface in his apartment when the alarm went off. He groaned and turned to the side, knocking the alarm off the nightstand and resuming with his sleep. I was now trying my hardest not to laugh and debated whether to poke him in his cheek or tap his shoulder. Then an idea popped up in my brain and I put my hands in a seal, taking control of Deidara's shadow with my advanced Shadow Bind.

I raised my right hand in the air and he followed so now he was lying on his back, sleeping like a log, but with his right hand raised high. The whole thing was so hilarious to me I couldn't keep my laughter down anymore and quickly put my hand over my mouth to stifle it. His hand followed and that woke him up; I saw his brows furrowing before he lazily opened one of his eyes. At that moment I let go of his shadow, bursting out laughing.

He blinked and looked at me: "I swear I'll blow you up, Sayomi." That only made me laugh harder and he groaned, sitting up.

"Why the hell are you waking me up? The Old Geezer said we're free today, un."

"It's long past lunchtime and we didn't eat anything since those energy bars yesterday." He blew a couple of loose hair strands away from his face.

"Yeah you're right, un." But he didn't move, only squinted at the sun coming from outside.

"About the third exam..." He began and I raised my brow. "It's a one on one fight but they can't make us fight our own teammates, right?"

"They probably can but that wouldn't be fair." I thought about it. "I mean, we would know each other's weaknesses and all."

"That's what I'm thinking. But you never know what-"

"Oiii, Sayomi-nee! Wake up already!" I heard someone knocking on the doors of my apartment. Someone being Kurotsuchi.

"Not again, un." Deidara laid down and covered himself with his pillow. I laughed. "She had her fight today, give her a break."

"She obviously won. I swear the Old Geezer favours her." The pillow muffled his voice.

"She comes from a line of prodigies, it's not that surprising." I went to the doors of my apartment, opening them and seeing grinning Kurotsuchi with Akatsuchi standing behind her.

"Finally! Are both of you still sleeping?"

"Almost. You won right?" I asked and she grinned. "Yeah we did! We fought against an older group of Iwa genin. This is their second Chuunin exam but I guess third luck's a charm for them." She stuck her tongue out and I smiled. "Congrats! I mean it."

"Anyway, Akatsuchi was the only one who came to watch my fight!" She put her hands on her hips. "Not cool Sayomi-nee. Deidara-nii you also!" I heard Deidara groan all the way through so I burst out laughing.

"Well wanna go and grab something to eat with us? We both slept until now so we're pretty hungry."

"So you wanna buy my forgiveness with food?" She raised her eyebrow and I smiled "Aahah...kinda?"

"Deal. But I get to choose where we eat!" I exhaled in relief. "Yeah sure. Akatsuchi you too." He grinned.

"Come on Deidara, we're all hungry here." I yelled but he exited through my apartment while tying his hair, looking half sleepy and half cranky.

"I'm here, un."

"We won Deidara-nii!" Kurotsuchi jumped excitedly and he yawned, not matching her enthusiasm. "Figured. I would be more surprised if you had lost."

"Where do you want to go, Kurotsuchi?" I asked.

"Barbecue." Her proposal wasn't half bad but upon arriving at the barbecue place we found it completely full.

"Now what?" I turned to Kurotsuchi who pointed on the other side of the street. "Ramen!"

"We only ever eat ramen, un." Deidara muttered.

"But they have the spiciest ramen in the village. My dad always brings me here." I raised my eyebrow.

"Did he tell you I beat him in wasabi eating challenge?" I asked as we sat down in a booth.

"No way. My dad is the ultimate champion."

"No, she beat him all right. He was a sore loser, un." Deidara snickered and Akatsuchi nodded.

"He didn't tell me that." I shrugged.

"How come you got up so early to watch the fight, Akatsuchi?" I turned to him.

"Her fight was at eleven so it wasn't that early."

"Still too early." I muttered and Deidara nodded.

"I was barely able to watch the fight at all. I had to hide myself up on the roof of the spectator area. Onoki-sensei left me alone but he kept everyone else away."

"Why?" I furrowed my brows.

"New rules were put in place before the first fight in the morning." Kurotsuchi said. "I think Ishiagakure jonin figured out that the third exam is a one on one fight so they sent all their genin to scout other teams. They restricted the fights so that no one has the upper hand in the upcoming exam."

"So we wouldn't have been able to watch your fight regardless?" I asked.

"Well, grandpa would have let you. But even I was forbidden from viewing other fights." Four servings of ramen arrived on the table and we all realized how hungry we were.

"Good thing we stayed asleep, un." I nodded.

"Wait, weren't you supposed to fight at nine o'clock?" I asked through slurps.

"That's why I thought I was late." Akatsuchi mumbled with full mouth.

"It's because the last team exited the mine in the middle of the night and they were still busy extracting a couple of teams out." Kurotsuchi explained.

"So how many teams have survived?"

"Well no one was killed but the search party had its hands full since you chose to blow up half of the mine, Deidara-nii." Deidara laughed.

"There were fifteen teams who came in and I heard grandpa say there will be four fights in a span of two days so..." She looked up. "Eight teams came out of the mine."

"Which means that only four teams will progress to the third exam, un." Kurotsuchi nodded.

"That's twelve people going to the third exam and only six of them will become chuunin." I calculated before looking at Kurotsuchi with my eyes wide. "Only six people will become chuunin? That's two teams only!"

"Not two teams exactly. No one said everyone from the team has to become chuunin. That was only important in the first two exams. Now you're on your own." Well that was great.

"Did the Old Geezer tell you how he'll arrange the fights?"

"Once four teams are left they will put all our names in the roster. No one knows who their opponent will be."

"When will we know that?" Akatsuchi asked, finally taking a break from stuffing his face.

"By the end of the week. Then we have another week for preparation."

"I mean...shouldn't we prepare ourselves only after we see what jutsu our opponent uses?" She shrugged.

"It's supposed to go that way." Akatsuchi agreed.

"I guess the Old Geezer wants us to adapt quickly because that's how the real battlefield looks like, un." I sighed and continued eating.

"By the way, Akatsuchi." I remembered something. "I forgot to thank you for yesterday. If it weren't for you taking energy bars I don't know where I'd get the energy to fight." He grinned.

"I told you we'll need them." He turned to Deidara who rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. It seems you can have a good idea now and then, un."

Once we left the restaurant Kurotsuchi began nagging Akatsuchi. "C'mon Akatsuchi, you can't go to sleep now. Let's go train!"

"I just ate, Kurotsuchi." But that gave me an idea so I turned to Deidara. "How about we check if my shadow can still swallow your bombs?" Deidara put his hands behind his head.

"Sure, but you owe me an ice-cream."

"Since when?"

"Since now, un." I rolled my eyes. "Fine."

"We can all train together then!" Kurotsuchi clapped her hands.

"Will she ever run out of energy?" Deidara muttered and I chuckled. "Seems not. She's still hyped up from her fight."

So we went to the woods. They actually wanted to go to the other training grounds where they can more easily manipulate Doton, but I needed shadows for my jutsu so they compromised.

This time I put my shadow wall in front of the tree just in case all fails because I didn't need more burns than I already had. Deidara had already sculpted a bird and was now fusing it. He threw it towards my shadow but the bird passed through.

My eyes widened and he looked behind my shadow wall, seeing his clay figurine on the grass. He looked at me, confused as much as I was. "Why didn't it work?"

"Don't look at me, I'm just as perplexed as you are." He tried again but it kept passing through my shadow in the same way his Bakuton charged kunai did once before.

"They went in yesterday, right? I did not imagine that?" I asked just in case and he shook his head. "I saw it too, un." He gave up and put his hands in a seal, making the bird explode.

"Are you blowing up stuff again, Deidara-nii?" Kurotsuchi yelled amidst her spar with Akatsuchi.

"I'm always blowing up stuff, un!" I laughed. "Give me a break." He muttered.

I kept staring at my shadow wall, running possibilities in my brain. "Could it be because of your clay? You used the clay I gave you, not-"

"It's the same type of clay. It shouldn't make any difference." He narrowed his eyes.

"Then did you do something differently? Maybe you fused it less than usual." I tried to come up with a plausible solution. He snapped his fingers, reaching for his clay pouch.

"I usually prepare my explosives in advance and only fuse them in the last minute. But yesterday I fused my clay before I molded it, un." He fused the clay before turning it into a bird. I thought about it.

"So you only ever fuse the outer layer?" He nodded. "Same thing happens when I fuse my kunai with chakra. Yesterday I kneaded my clay after I've fused it, so my chakra was on the inside as welll. Somehow that change made it able to enter your shadow, un."

"We'll know if we try." I said and he threw the bird in.

The shadow swallowed his clay bird this time. Deidara turned to me with a 'told you so' face.

"So it has to do with chakra after all..." My Shadow jutsu was full of surprises. I guess ten months isn't enough time to truly comprehend the depth of such a technique. It wasn't complex in a way that I had to do a lot of seals, and even the conditions under which I executed the jutsu were clear and logical; watch out for sun, for your chakra, for the duration of the jutsu and so on. All those things were pretty obvious. What made it complex was the amount of freedom I had with my shadow, and how much I actually underestimated that freedom.

"It was pure luck we discovered that." I muttered and Deidara smirked.

"Yeah, it sure surprised them. Also, where do you send my explosives?"

"Huh?"

"Think about it, un. You control those shadows with your Yin chakra that governs spiritual energy. You had to imagine my bombs getting swallowed in the first place, so they had to end up somewhere." He was talking sense but the problem was that I didn't imagine anything. I just put the wall up.

"I don't think of any particular place. I just see them enter in. You know I never made anything else come out of my shadows before."

"Yeah, I guess. So maybe you're not sending anything anywhere, maybe you're keeping it all in your shadow, un." He crossed his hands, his eyes observing my shadow.

"Like my shadow is some other dimension?" I raised my eyebrow.

"It's not that weird. All summoning jutsus operate like that, sealing jutsus also. It all depends on your chakra control."

"I guess. I mean, I have only basic understanding of Yin release. I haven't met a single person who uses Yin chakra for anything other than genjutsu." I sighed.

"Make them come out, un." He said, moving away. I concentrated and the clay bird came out of the shadow, as if someone threw it out.

Of course he made it explode. He liked doing that.

"Again?!" Kurotsuchi yelled and we laughed.

"Can you try bringing back that giant shuriken from yesterday?"

This time I pictured a giant shuriken exiting through my shadow but nothing happened.

"I still can't do that." I moved my hands away, breaking the jutsu. "So it seems you'll just swallow all my bombs with your shadow jutsu if we ever fight." I made a face. "Yeah right. You're too fast for that and would probably fool me somehow."

"You should come up with an offensive jutsu, un. You don't have a good one." He was right, but so far I didn't have to worry about that since I never fought alone.

"Would it be against the rules to have you drop a couple of your explosives in my shadow before the fight?" I smiled slyly.

"I would still have to trigger them."

"I know, I know." I waved it off. "I'll think of something, I have a week."

"Okay, Akatsuchi is completely beat." Kurotsuchi came closer and we saw Akatsuchi lying on his back behind her. "Will someone spar with me?"

"Oh save your energy Kurotsuchi." Deidara rolled his eyes. "Come on, un." He said to me, setting his course back to the village. Kurotsuchi stuck her tongue out at him and I chuckled.

"Will you spar with me then, Sayomi-nee?" She grinned and I lost my smile. "I have to go and buy Deidara ice-cream soo...some other time?" She sighed. "Fiiine. Akatsuchi!" She turned back to him and I heard him say "Not again."

I left while I still had the chance, following Deidara back to the village. We sat on the roof of Tsuchikage building to eat our ice-cream because it was late afternoon and we felt lazy. We didn't talk at all; I was still thinking about all the weird stuff that's been happening with my jutsu and Deidara was equally lost in thoughts.

Then we saw a floating figure of Onoki-sensei coming to us, his hands crossed. We didn't move away even though he looked like he'll scold us any moment now. Once he saw we didn't plan on running away he sighed, half-turning to look at the peaceful village in front of us. Summer afternoons were always so serene.

"Have all the fights finished, Onoki-sensei?" I asked, trying not to make us look rude for not saying anything.

"Four more fights will be held tomorrow."

"And then you'll put our names in the roster?" Deidara asked and he glanced at us.

"Kurotuschi told you that, didn't she?" We nodded. "Village elders made me do it to make sure the fights are fair. We are joined by Ishiagakure shinobi after all and have to keep everything fair and equal. That also means you won't fight against your own teammates." A massive weight fell off my shoulders. Ever since Deidara brought up that possibility I've been thinking about it actually happening.

"If it weren't for that I would have made you two fight." I thought I heard him wrong but Deidara's eyes narrowing at Onoki-sensei confirmed it.

"Why, un?"

"I told you before how teamwork is a crucial shinobi skill. Teamwork, as in working in teams, teams of three in particular. Not in teams of two."

"But we have good teamwork with Akatsuchi." I argued.

"I may be old but I have excellent eyesight, Sayomi. I know what I'm talking about." He sighed. "Well, it's too late for that now. I still think you two would give us a good fight. One that I would actually enjoy watching." He flew towards the edge.

"Your opponents will be announced next week so use the time to train." He said, descending down and leaving us alone again. Deidara jumped up, going to the edge of the roof and looking down.

"Tch. As if we're here only to entertain that Old Geezer, un. What a load of crap." I made a face, resting my chin in my hand.

"I don't get why he's so bothered by us two having better teamwork." He continued.

"Because of the whole team thing."

"But it's not like shinobi only work in teams of three, un." He was right about that one so I gave up.

"Maybe he's not sure we're strong on our own." I said, going to the edge. "Hah, that's dumb. We'll have to prove him wrong."

"You really like proving him wrong, don't you?" He smirked. "Not just him, un." I chuckled.

"Perhaps he learns a couple of things from us for a change."

* * *

 **I had to take a little break from all the fighting. The Chuunin exam continues next week.**

 **Thank you for reading and make sure to review! Feedback is very important and also I really love it :)**


	15. Part 1, Chapter 14

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Even though the second part of the Chuunin exam was concluded we weren't told who our opponents are for the third exam. We knew the roster thing had already happened and the jonin were working on the fights schedule, but not even Kurotsuchi could find out who's fighting who.

"Grandpa won't even see me. He said it would be against the rules to have me know more than the rest." Kurotsuchi wasn't the only one annoyed. None of us had any idea who our opponents were. Only thing we knew was that you couldn't fight your own teammates but that would still leave you with nine possible opponents. We figured it had something to do with the secrecy and fair play but making us wait for a week was simply torture. Having nothing better to do we spent our days training, waiting for that dreaded Sunday when the fights will be announced.

"The whole thing could have been settled last week, un." We were waiting for Kitsuchi to arrive and rid us of our misery.

"C'mon pops what's taking you so long!" Kurotsuchi yelled and I chuckled. It wasn't long after that he arrived, clearing his throat.

"Since there's twelve of you and only six Chuunin spots available, we will have to stage six fights in a span of three days." My brows furrowed. Kurotsuchi told us we'll have a week for preparation but it seems they decided to change that.

Kitsuchi read a pair of names for the first fight tomorrow before saying "The second fight tomorrow will be between Akatsuchi and Makoto." We turned to Akatsuchi.

"Makoto?" Kurotsuchi asked, looking around but I soon found him. "He's an Ishiagakure shinobi." I muttered and we all looked at the tall brown-haired guy, giving Akatsuchi an evil eye.

"Now, the pairs for Tuesday." Kitsuchi looked at me and I could tell what was about to happen.

"First fight will be between Sayomi and Ryotaro." My eyes widened and Kurotsuchi scanned the room.

"Where is he anyway?" He was absent but I didn't need to see him to know who he is. He's the guy who punched me that long time ago in the Academy.

"That idiot again?" I glanced at Deidara but before I could add anything to that, another shock ensued.

"Final fight on the third day will be between Deidara and Kurotsuchi." I looked at Kurotsuchi standing nearby. Deidara wasn't shocked at all, but Kurotsuchi was. She quickly collected herself, pointing a finger at him. "Hah, I'll beat you easy, Deidara-nii."

"You wish, un."

"Don't you forget I've seen your jutsu before while you have no idea what my jutsu is. That means I have an advantage." She walked away.

"She's a powerful opponent, Deidara." Akatsuchi added and Deidara looked at him from the corner of his eye. "Otherwise she wouldn't have made it this far."

He went after Kurotsuchi and I looked Deidara straight in the eye. "Kick her ass." He laughed.

"You have to come watch me tomorrow!" Akatsuchi shouted after us.

"If you can't beat up one Ishi shinobi you shouldn't even be a ninja, un." Deidara yelled back but I waved to Akatsuchi. "We'll be there!"

Well in a way we were. It was my fault because I was certain Kitsuchi said the second fight begins at four so Deidara and I took it easy. In fact it started at half past three, and we learned that once we found confused Kurotsuchi standing in completely deserted Arena A. Then Deidara said they must be in Arena B and when we finally arrived there it was just in time to see Akatsuchi puking out an earth golem.

I felt myself getting sick but him propelling a jutsu from his mouth like that confused neither Kurotsuchi nor Deidara. Sometimes I forgot that my jutsu differed from the rest of the Iwa shinobi but I bet they would be just as surprised about my jutsu as I was about Akatsuchi's. I was just out of tune for the most part.

Either way, once Akatsuchi brought out his golem into the fight the odds changed in his favour.

"Woo, go Akatsuchi!" Kurotsuchi yelled as we stood on the roof of the spectator area, watching the fight. Onoki-sensei leaned out to look at us. "Why are you three up there?"

"Better view." I blurted out and he shook his head, going back in.

Akatsuchi managed to overpower Makoto with his golem and combined Doton jutsu. Now that I saw him fighting from a distance I concluded he became way faster than he was before. The whistle was blown not long after Makoto was buried underneath the ground and we all cheered for Akatsuchi, who turned to look at us with a smile on his face.

"You think he noticed we weren't here from the start?" I asked Deidara as we went down.

"Doubt it, un."

We all congratulated him before Onoki-sensei came and proudly said how Akatsuchi is now a chuunin. He'll have to wait for the official ceremony but the win secured his spot.

"Say Onoki-sensei, why are we in Arena B for this?" I asked, because everyone knew Arena B had this giant tree sprouting from the ground and therefore only younger genin used it for fighting.

"Because nearly everyone uses Doton jutsu and it takes some time to return the ground back to normal. So the first fight of the day will be in Arena A, and the second one in Arena B. It's all because it took us a whole day to get rid of the mud from your fight with the Ishiagakure genin." I chuckled. "I'll send the bill to that Old Sack of Bones, just you wait."

Onoki-sensei went to talk to the judge and between us congratulating Akatsuchi and commenting on his Doton skills it suddenly hit me that my fight is tomorrow. I stopped laughing and became anxious because there was a number of things I wanted to do before the fight. I began fidgeting, wishing the fight could be right now so I could get it over with. Deidara noticed my fidgeting and soon signaled me to go.

I nodded. "See ya tomorrow Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi." I said, kicking into high gear and running back home, leaving Deidara behind for the most part.

"Oh calm down, will you?" He said as we landed back on our balconies.

"Sorry. I wanted to meditate one more time before tomorrow." I explained, my hand on the doorknob already.

"Beat his ass, un." He said and I looked at him, his sharp blue eyes focused on mine. "I know you can do it." He jumped on his part of the balcony and I blushed, taking a deep breath before proceeding inside.

Meditation made me calm down and after it I checked if I have enough kunai on me and everything is as it should be. Then I went to take a shower. However, the biggest preparation came once I looked at my long hair in the mirror while brushing teeth. I always kept it in a braid but now that I assessed how long it became I also remembered all the trouble it caused me. Not only was I pulled on it two times in the past, but lower part of it got slashed during my fight in the mine. All those situations made me angry, especially when someone decided to play dirty and pull me on it. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryotaro stooped to that level.

So I cut it off. I held my braid in my hand, looking at my dark brown hair coming a bit below my chin in a messy manner since I cut my hair off with a kunai I found lying around. It was different. Unusual. But I didn't hate it. Hell, the change looked good on me. I could do it. No, I will do it. I will beat Ryotaro and become chuunin.

I kept the attitude going until I walked in Arena A the next day and realized I'm done for before the fight even began.

Noon. It was noon. There wasn't a single shadow in the whole Arena, and even my own shadow underneath me looked weak and useless. Arena B at least had a tree and I cursed the fight schedule for sabotaging me.

I heard people entering the spectator area. I saw the judge waiting impatiently for Ryotaro to arrive. None of that mattered to me because I kept staring at the cloudless sky above me. Perfectly blue, without so much as a cloud anywhere. Sun was mocking me full power.

This was really bad. It was the worst possible situation for me. I thought about focusing only on taijutsu but I knew he'll be using ninjutsu and I'll be at a disadvantage. I couldn't overpower him with taijutsu alone.

"Sayomi-nee, you've cut your hair!" I heard Kurotsuchi yelling so I turned to the spectator area, seeing all three of them surprised by my new haircut. I grinned, waving at them and seeing Onoki-sensei enter the area with village elders, Ishikage, and Kitsuchi. "Good luck!" She yelled.

Yeah I'm gonna need it. No, what I really need is a plan.

What I could do is postpone using my shadow until I come close to him and then catch him in it. The drawback of that is that I couldn't be certain if that would even work. My shadow is very weak right now and I can't force it more than a meter away from me without pouring out too much of my chakra in it. Also, with it being this weak he may even resist my Shadow Bind jutsu and then it's all in vain. Even if a cloud appears later on, he would be aware of what my jutsu is. It's for the better if I keep it a secret until the last second.

Ryotaro finally arrived and I snapped out of my thinking. I was standing there with my hands crossed, staring at the ground and thinking like mad. There had to be something I could do.

"Hey, they told me I'm supposed to fight some long-haired chick! Who are you?" I looked at him and his eyes narrowed.

"Wait, you seem familiar. What's your name again?"

"It's Sayomi you moron, un!" Corner of my mouth curled in a smile as I watched Ryotaro look at the spectator area in anger. The judge saw we were both ready to go so he blew his whistle before leaving.

"Oooh now I remember. You're that weak chick from the Academy. How did you even make your way to the third part of the exam?"

Think Sayomi, think. You need a sound plan. You need...

I need to make more shadows.

"Bah, that ain't my problem. You'll be easy to take down. I'll become chuunin in no time." He cracked his knuckles and I mentally crossed my fingers. Oh please let him be a Doton user.

Then I cleared my throat.

"Oh no, pleeease tell me you're not a Doton user." I faked. He raised his eyebrow, just like everyone in the spectator area.

Then he smirked and I tried not to do so myself. Got him.

"You're out of luck, girl!"

This was seriously _...so troublesome._

"Doton: Earth and Stone Bamboo Shoot!" Four large spikes came from four directions at me in order to skewer me. But I used something I had while still in the Academy.

My speed.

I managed to get away and was now crouching near the wall of the Arena, looking closely at the shadows the spikes left. They were very thin because the spikes were like that themselves, so I deemed them useless. I need them to be larger. It seems I'll have to make him reveal every Doton jutsu he has in his arsenal in order to find something I could use to my advantage.

I took a couple of kunai out of my pouch before evading another spike coming from my left. I threw my kunai, but not directly at him. I purposely made it go more to his right and he deflected it with another spike. I kept attacking, while only pretending to attack and stick my kunai all around the place. The spikes that were coming at me were all thin and always near the wall, since I chose to run on the sides of it. I would need to risk it a bit more.

The next time a spike came at me I jumped on it, making my way to the centre of the Arena. "Is that the only Doton jutsu you have?" I taunted him and he gritted his teeth.

"Doton: Earth Flow Spears!" This one almost got me and I climbed on it, observing this new jutsu of his. Seems he really liked his earth spears, this one. But this rock spear was different than the one before. It was bigger and denser so the shadow was now more proper. I concluded these will work just fine, as long as I make him cover the whole place with them.

He was a very static shinobi. He kept himself on one place and only relied on his Doton jutsu. I don't know what kind of enemies he fought before but he should have realized he has to change his strategy in order to take me down. I was faster than his jutsu, for now at least.

I kept throwing my kunai around, avoiding the spears he sent after me. I wasn't even throwing my kunai at him, I was more or less missing him entirely. But he thought he was defending himself from them with his spikes so I kept going at it, luring him around the Arena with it.

I must have looked like a complete lunatic, not even able to hit my target with a kunai. Here you go Onoki-sensei, have your entertaining fight.

"Doton: Flying Thrown Stones!"

A bunch of rocks propelled from the ground and at me. A few of them hit my leg but I managed to evade most of them. Then my shoulder pushed one of the flying rocks away and it hit the other rock that had the explosive tag on it. The rocks exploded but I was already away from the whole ordeal, thinking about using the smoke to my advantage. In the end I decided not to since I still had a whole patch around Ryotaro completely without shadows. Of course, with me going around the Arena I didn't come close to him and he didn't make any spikes in his close proximity. I'll have to drive him out of that place and then make a shadow over there too.

Before I could come up with a plan he materialized in front of me on the wall, flicking shuriken at me. One of the shuriken wounded my shoulder but I bit the inside of my mouth and focused on getting away.

"Hah, now you're completely surrounded with my spikes. You're on my terrain now!"

He sent more spikes after me, even making spikes grow from the ones he already formed. I went to the patch without any spikes and predictably he soon filled it with some more of them. I reached for my pouch but found it empty.

That was my cue to finish this but he flicked another wave of shuriken at me. I guess I needed to tire him out some more. I attacked him with taijutsu, and even though he could keep up with my speed I saw he didn't like this type of fighting. He would rather skewer me from afar.

He managed to get away from my taijutsu attacks because he hid himself behind a spike, making a smaller spike come out of it and at me. I dodged it but another one shot out from a different angle, faster than the last one. He was making a whole net of them and I kept thinking how lucky I was. He was making more shadows than I could have hoped for. He did make it into his terrain now, being able to shoot spikes at me from every possible angle since the place was littered with them, but coincidentally he made enough shadows to transform it into my type of terrain.

It was finally time to finish this ordeal.

I came down to the ground, looking at the transformed Arena. Shadows were stretching all over the area which was completely opposite of what I started with. He came down too and I noticed he was breathing heavily.

He made a seal but too late. I put my hands in a rat seal, my shadow effortlessly connecting with other shadows in the area, making its way across and to his own shadow. His hands froze in the middle of the seal he was doing, his eyes now open wide.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." I said, smirking.

"Trapping me won't help you." Of course not. That was the first thing I became aware of ever since I learned I can do Shadow Bind. It's useless unless someone else attacks while I keep the enemy trapped. Now that I was left on my own, I had to improvise.

I kept him trapped and concentrated on my chakra inside the shadow. I guided it all around the Arena, making it materialize in thin stripes. Then I hooked up my scattered kunai with them.

Ryotaro kept his composure while being trapped in my shadow but he let out how terrified he was once he saw more than a dozen shadow tentacles looming high up in the air, all of them holding my kunai.

I flicked all of them at him, making sure I hit his legs and arms only. He closed his eyes so he didn't notice I let him go with my shadow. The kunai hit his arms and legs, making red splotches, but before he could recuperate I was already on his side of the Arena, jumping down from one of the spikes and punching his face with my right fist.

Now it was my turn to send him down on the ground. The whistle blew and the spectator area erupted with clapping and cheering. I was catching my breath, feeling my throbbing fist and smiling.

Deidara appeared on my left a moment after the whistle sounded off, followed by Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi. Before any of us could say anything, Kurotsuchi put her hands on my shoulders.

"That was so awesome, Sayomi-nee!" I glanced at Deidara and he grinned at me. "You finally punched someone for real, un." I laughed.

"Congrats Sayomi." Akatsuchi said.

"You should have heard the elders and the rest of the jonin." Kurotsuchi was shaking my shoulders. "They were all; 'Why is she even here? She can't even hit him with her kunai. She's not using ninjutsu at all!' But I knew you were planning something."

"Yeah, after I told you she's planning something." Kurotsuchi turned to glare at Deidara for having said that.

"Onoki-sensei figured it too. The village elders began to scold him because you're his student but he told them to be quiet and watch you complete your strategy." Akatsuchi finished.

"How did you know?" I asked Deidara and he looked up. I smiled, appreciating him not telling everyone my weakness was sunlight.

"But why did you cut your hair, Sayomi-nee?" Kurotsuchi surprised me with her next question.

"I was copying you." I winked at her and she beamed, finally taking her hands off my shoulders.

"Saying good job to you would be understating this whole fight." Onoki-sensei finally came down. "It was a long game but your strategy paid off. I do enjoy a good deception game." He chuckled.

"But what I'm really looking forward is tomorrow." He looked at Deidara and Kurotsuchi.

"You'll be cheering for me, right grandpa?" Kurotsuchi asked and Onoki-sensei slowly began ascending.

"I'm not meddling in that." He said.

"Oi, grandpa!" Kurotsuchi went after him.

"All will be decided tomorrow." He flew away and I looked at Deidara.

"You owe me ramen." He raised his eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since now. I'm hungry as hell." Right on cue, Akatsuchi's stomach grumbled.

"Great, now the golem's getting hungry too, un." I chuckled, following Deidara out of the Arena.

"I didn't want to miss the fight so I skipped lunch."

"Wow Akatsuchi, appreciate it."

"Hey, if Deidara wins tomorrow Onoki-sensei has to treat us to a meal." Akatsuchi clapped his hands.

"He's such a cheapskate he'll treat us with cup noodles." I muttered and they laughed.

"By the way-„ Deidara pointed a finger at Akatsuchi. "There's no 'if I win tomorrow' you fool. I'm definitely winning tomorrow, un."

"You shouldn't underestimate Kurotsuchi."

"Well you shouldn't underestimate my art!"

"Let's just go eat!" I ran forward, making them stop their argue and follow me. I was tired, bruised, wounded, but I was so happy. I defeated Ryotaro and passed the third stage of the exam. Despite all my failures from before, I became chuunin.

It seems the genes of my mother weren't a real threat after all.

* * *

 **Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi, Kurotsuchi...good work Kishimoto, make it harder for me to realize I accidentally misspelled their names.**

 **Yoo, review pretty please, y'all not doing it at alll...  
**

 **Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for the next week's fight, it'll be awesome (if I may say so myself).**


	16. Part 1, Chapter 15

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Tomorrow I made sure to be at Arena B early. Deidara wasn't at his apartment as I was leaving and once I came to the Arena B I found the spectator area completely full. And I thought I was early.

Onoki-sensei was sitting in the middle of the first row with Ishikage and village elders by his side. The rest of the area was filled with Iwa jonin and I saw Akatsuchi waving at me from the roof so I came closer.

"There's so many people." I said and he shrugged. "Just like yesterday." I guess with me being on the other side yesterday made me underestimate how many people can fit in the spectator area.

"Have you seen Deidara?" He shook his head. "No, but he should be close. The fight will begin soon." I went to the front of the Arena and then inside the hallway leading to the entrance of the Arena field. At one corridor I almost bumped into Deidara who was checking the straps on his pouch.

"There you are! You should see the spectator area, it's packed full."

"Yeah I saw it, un." I cleared my throat, noticing the echo of the empty hallway around us. "Umm...Will Gari come watch you?"

"Last I heard he was on a mission, so no." I forced myself to look at him and stop being so awkward.

"Make a good strategy...and don't lose." He smirked and I went back to the spectator area. I didn't know what else to say to him. I knew he was strong, fast, merciless...saying good luck to him would be a waste of breath.

I sat down on the roof of the spectator area right as he and Kurotsuchi took their places in the Arena.

"Hey, Deidara-nii. I heard you also want to become next Tsuchikage." Kurotsuchi said and he raised his eyebrow.

"That title is mine though. My grandfather is the current Third Tsuchikage and my great-great-grandfather was the First Tsuchikage. It's only natural I become the Fourth."

"Hah, wanna fight for that, un?" Deidara asked but the judge blew his whistle, announcing the start so we never heard her answer.

"Doton-!" Kurotsuchi put her hands in a seal but didn't finish the technique's name since her mouth was now occupied with shooting a rock bullet out of it. She spit a couple of them at Deidara and as they flew the pebbles became massive boulders.

Deidara blitzed out of that attack with ease, using the rising dust from the boulders to disappear completely. It was easier to keep track of their movements being high up on the spectator area and because of it the dust didn't hide the slight shook of the treetop. Kurotsuchi was on alert but as the dust cleared we saw a hole near the tree, on the whole other side of the Arena. She quickly went up the wall but then Deidara appeared behind her, revealing the hole was a trick. He wanted to throw his explosives at her but she managed to hit his hand and force him to engage in a taijutsu battle. Eventually they moved down from the wall and were now just a blur of yellow and black. I was now struggling to read their movements with them being so fast.

Deidara threw a couple of bombs at her while engaged in taijutsu, blowing Kurotsuchi away, even though the smoke revealed she was fine. She then went inside the ground with her Hide like a Mole Technique. I thought Deidara will stay on the surface and blow up the ground, but he followed her in instead.

"But he can't track her with that." Akatsuchi muttered. Then it dawned on me.

"Mines." I said, smiling. Right on cue, multiple explosions came from underground, making a track of Deidara's movements. Kurotsuchi burst out of the ground, clapping her hands and pressing them on the ground. She noticed something and ran towards the arena walls when Deidara exited the ground in front of her, kicking Kurotsuchi in the stomach with his leg. The kick sent her away and she winced from pain, but flicked shuriken at Deidara regardless. Deidara couldn't evade them while being in the air so they hit his left arm, making blood strips paint his hand. Kurotsuchi then put her hands in a seal and propelled another rock bullet out of her mouth. Deidara used the expanding boulder to boost himself towards her, delivering a wave of explosives all around her. He detonated them but didn't deter Kurotsuchi who once again attacked him with her taijutsu.

Eventually he tried again with his bombs, doubling the area of effect and making Kurotsuchi use a protective dome around her. He tried to trap her in it then but she went underground with Hide like a Mole and over to him. Her plan was probably to keep herself close to Deidara because then he'll be unable to use his bombs in order not to wound himself too. Unfortunately for Kurotsuchi, and Deidara was aware of that, all her techniques were middle to long range. So neither of them had the upper hand, and taijutsu only prolonged the whole fight.

Them going back and forth went for a while longer before Kurotsuchi put her hands in a seal, opening her mouth but this time spitting out a liquid of some sorts.

"Quicklime." As Akatsuchi informed me not a moment later.

Deidara dodged it in time but got pierced by a giant shuriken Kurotsuchi summoned from her scroll. Now his right hand got wounded as well and I sighed, noticing him not being bothered by the pain at all. Kurotsuchi thought she had him so she spit a rock bullet at him. Deidara pulled out the shuriken from his arm, tearing his sleeve in the process, held it in his hand a while longer before throwing it at the giant boulder.

The boulder exploded upon contact with the shuriken and I smirked, seeing he fused it with his Bakuton.

Both of them were now fighting in close proximity to the tree and I heard Onoki-sensei telling village elders 'yes he knows the tree is in the way but he had no other choice'. Kurotsuchi tried making seals while fighting Deidara with his taijutsu but was unable to do so since he either deflected them easily or bombed her every attempt to form a seal. Yet, he didn't detonate all the bombs he kept throwing at her, maybe about a half. The rest of them kept piling up around the area they were fighting in and Kurotsuchi made sure to avoid stepping on them. Just when I thought he'll definitely detonate them, because he moved towards the wall and away from Kurotsuchi and the tree, she managed to hit his entire right side of body with her "Yoton: Quicklime!" followed by "Suiton: Water Trumpet!"

The quicklime she spit on him hardened after she drenched it with water and Deidara was now completely glued to the wall, his right hand and leg rendered useless by her quicklime. I thought he'll maybe fuse his left fist and hit it to make it crack, but it seemed he couldn't bring his left hand that close in such a position.

Kurotsuchi saw he was powerless and put her hands on her hips.

"You're very strong, Deidara-nii. You put up a nice fight. But it's over now, the Tsuchikage seat is mine!" I tried not to roll my eyes but then I caught a sight of Deidara's face.

He was smirking.

"If you want to become Tsuchikage you'll first have to beat my art and _my art_...is unbeatable!" He raised his left hand in a Seal of Confrontation.

" _Katsu!"_

Kurotsuchi noticed that the bombs littered on the ground underneath her were about to explode and she did what any one of us would have done; she jumped up to avoid the explosion. From her particular spot her jump made her go on top of the tree. It was hard to see what was going on since Deidara's explosions on the ground raised quite a lot of dust but we all saw the precise moment when explosions rocked the entirety of the treetop. If you weren't already in awe at Deidara doing a seal with only one hand now you definitely were because no one expected his bombs to be inside the treetop. Once the dust cleared a bit we saw Kurotsuchi lying on the ground, unconscious, and Deidara pulling a kunai out of his pouch and stabbing the quicklime he was trapped in. The quicklime exploded and he walked towards Kurotsuchi, soon joined by the judge who checked her condition and then blew the whistle.

I jumped up, cheering as loud as I could. Akatsuchi joined me and we heard a clap coming from the spectator area underneath us, followed by a couple of jonin cheering. I came down to the spectator area, feeling so excited.

"Have you seen it Onoki-sensei? He did a seal with only one hand!" Onoki-sensei nodded, smirk on his face. "It was a thrilling fight I must say, both of them are extremely powerful-" But I didn't listen to him anymore because I followed Akatsuchi down to the Arena area.

"That was so awesome Deidara!" Akatsuchi was telling to panting Deidara but I ignored him and literally propelled myself at Deidara, not minding the dust of the quicklime and the dried blood on his arms. I don't think I've ever hugged him before but right now I was so happy that I had to.

"That was unbelievable!" I said, letting him go and noticing how his eyes were widened a bit. "How are you able to do a seal with only one hand? You have to teach me that!" Corner of his lips curled up in a smile.

"When did you put the bombs up there in the first place?" Akatsuchi asked.

"At the very beginning." He said and I remembered how I saw the rustling of the treetop through the dust. "I knew it! I saw you going up there right as the boulders hit the spot you were standing in." He nodded. I thought Akatsuchi's eyes would pop out.

"But how could you have known? That doesn't make any sense!" Akatsuchi kept pacing up and down, to the tree and back, but we stayed put because Onoki-sensei came closer.

"You've truly proven your mastery, Deidara. To do a seal with only one hand is a legendary feat. Village elders were really impressed by you, nagging me to test you for a jonin position." We gaped.

"I'm not sure I'll humour them on that part. Maybe in a couple of months when Ishiagakure shinobi won't be here to witness it." Onoki-sensei muttered.

"How about you just make me a Tsuchikage right now, un?" Deidara gloated.

"I first have to make you a chuunin. The ceremony will be in half an hour, by the Stone Monument." He eyed Deidara's bleeding arms. "You will need to bandage this up, Deidara. I don't think the medic unit is here anymore since they took Kurotsuchi to hospital so-" He looked at me. "Help him, will you?" I nodded and he flew up.

"Don't be late!" But Deidara and I still had to go to the clinic for the bandages. Akatsuchi went ahead to the Stone Monument mainly because he's never been there before and didn't even know where to go.

I disinfected his wounds and was now wrapping his arms in bandages without so much as a flinch from Deidara. Typical. His pain tolerance was remarkable.

"Why did you cut your hair?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"My braid was getting too long and I got pulled on it twice in a fight. So I got rid of it." I shrugged. He didn't add anything and it was becoming awkward again.

"It wasn't really a strategy to put the bombs up there. It was more of a gamble."

"I know. At one point I actually thought I wouldn't need them at all, un."

"You should've seen how impressed everyone was by you doing a seal with only one hand." I said, finishing with his right hand and moving to left. "There isn't anyone in the village who can do that. Not even Onoki-sensei and he's the Tsuchikage."

"I came up with it yesterday, un." He said, glancing at me. "When you look at your rat seal from the sides it looks a lot like you're doing a Seal of Confrontation. I figured that if you want to do a seal with only one hand, you should do a one-hand seal, not break apart a two-hand seal." I stopped with my hands on his arm.

"Yeah you're right. I also remember me telling you that the rat seal is the only one who can pull that off." His brows furrowed.

"No you didn't!"

"Yeah I did!" I smiled. "It's really cool though. You can control your chakra from afar with such precision." I stopped all of a sudden, realizing something.

"Wait, you only came up with it yesterday? How did you know it'll work?"

"I didn't, un." He answered like it's no big deal.

"You idiot!"

"Oi-" I tightened his bandages which shut him up. "Unbelievable." I shook my head.

"I didn't know if it would work, but I made it work. You did the same thing yesterday, so what's the big deal?"

"Kicking Ryotaro's ass was fun I have to admit." The aftermath of that victory left me feeling more secure in my abilities than ever. "Blasting Kurotsuchi was fun too." I cracked a smile, tying the bandages.

"Maybe I'll blast you next, un." He smirked at me and I raised my eyebrow.

"Yeah right."

"What, you don't want to fight me?"

"What's the point of that? And why are you so bent on fighting?" I laughed. "The adrenaline got to you." I knocked on his head, avoiding his blue eyes pierced at mine.

"Come on, Onoki-sensei said not to be late."

"I don't even know where that Monument is, un."

"Me neither."

After wandering through the village for a while we caught sight of a group of jonin going somewhere so we figured if we follow them maybe we find the Stone Monument.

And indeed we did. It was an intricate pedestal with a stone on top of it, the whole thing standing in a pool of water filled with similar looking stones. It was actually bigger than I thought and the chamber itself was nicely decorated.

"I thought Akatsuchi was already here." I looked around but only saw three other shinobi who managed to become chuunin, and a whole bunch of jonin. The village elders were already here as well.

Akatsuchi soon came, walking behind Onoki-sensei and the Ishikage. He came to us, smiling sheepishly, and Deidara rolled his eyes.

The ceremony was nothing special. Onoki-sensei talked about our new responsibilities now that we've become chuunin. Then both he and Ishikage congratulated us and the room cleared out. The whole thing lasted five minutes tops.

We remained standing there because we all knew Onoki-sensei owes us dinner. He gestured for us to come closer to the pool.

"Stone Monument of Iwagakure has been here since the construction of the village. It conveys the important message, the one every shinobi of Iwagakure has within themselves – The Will of Stone." He was levitating next to the stone on top of the pedestal. Then he kicked the stone in the pool with his foot.

We looked at him levitating there like nothing happened, while we didn't know whether to be humored or appalled by Onoki-sensei doing that to the Stone Monument.

"Um..." I couldn't help myself. I pointed at the rock in the pool. Or what I thought was the rock because all of them looked more or less the same to me. "You know which rock was it, right Onoki-sensei?"

"No idea." We deadpanned. He came closer to the pool, taking one rock from it and placing it on the stone pedestal. "There, not like anyone will notice."

"Except us, un."

"If you think the Will of Stone is in some rock you're gravely mistaken. It's just a rock. Will of Stone is inside of you and that's the essential part. Without all of us here there would be no Will of Stone and the Monument would serve no purpose. It's only here as a reminder of what we already have inside." He observed us.

"The three of you have come very far. Your skills have grown remarkably and as your sensei I must say I'm very proud of you. I'm also hopeful for the future, where I see you grow even more. Bear in your hearts the Will of Stone and walk as proud Iwagakure shinobi. Become strong for your own sake, for the sake of your comrades, and for the sake of your village." He flew towards us and we heard a voice behind us: "Sorry for the wait!"

We turned around and saw the photographer smiling at us. "Ready?" We definitely weren't ready but Akatsuchi put his hands on Deidara and me, pushing us in front of him since he was the tallest. Onoki-sensei decided to float in front of us and 3-2-1 smile!

I was blinking rapidly because of the light, also knowing I definitely ended up looking like an idiot since the whole photo thing caught me off guard.

Onoki-sensei thanked the photographer before landing, for a first time in a while choosing to stand and walk next to us instead of flying.

"Now...how about some cup noodles?"

"I told you!" I said and Deidara sighed.

"Oh fine, I will splurge this time. Barbecue?" Now that was a better idea. This time we even managed to get a seat but that was probably because we had the Tsuchikage with us. I didn't have barbecue for ages so I was really enjoying myself. The Chuunin exams were over and done and the three of us passed them with flying colours.

"Ishikage seemed very disappointed that only one of his genin became chuunin. He grew exceptionally angry once the three of you passed, being my students." Onoki-sensei said, pouring himself another cup of sake. He was hogging the bottle for a while now and I shared a look with Deidara, telling him he'll end up just like Kitsuchi that time in hot springs. Deidara's smirk told me he's aware and that he can't wait for it to happen. So I went back to my meat.

"As if it's my fault Ishiagakure shinobi have always been weaker than us." Onoki-sensei continued. "I was waiting for him to say the whole thing's been rigged but fortunately he didn't. I don't think he will ever step back into Iwagakure though, that Old Sack of Bones." He chuckled to himself, his nose faintly red.

"Akatsuchi, next time bring your golem into the fight earlier. Sayomi, you could have used explosive tags to make shadows and not rely on the Doton jutsu. Deidara, the explosion you made when you fused the shuriken was stronger than the explosions of your clay bombs." He said before downing his drink and pouring more. We all stared at him, thinking how he's getting really drunk but also how interesting it was now that we viewed him like this. Onoki-sensei, however, paid us no mind and continued on.

"Akatsuchi, you shouldn't forget about your brute force and how devastating it could be. Sayomi, don't be afraid to use taijutsu simultaneously with your Shadow jutsu. Deidara, you need to expand your arsenal or my granddaughter will beat you once she masters Yoton completely." Deidara moved the sake bottle out of Onoki-sensei's reach.

"You're killing the mood, Old Geezer. How about some praise instead, un?"

"You're my students, I have to tell you objectively which skills you lack." He eyed his cup.

"There's one skill all of you lack..."

"Which one?" Akatsuchi asked.

"I forgot." Deidara made a face and I chuckled silently, going back to the food.

"I know what I'll do with you. Now that you're chuunin you have to get a different kind of training...yes, I know exactly where I'll place you." I leaned closer to Deidara.

"How did he get drunk that fast?" He raised his pinkie in the air, continuing with his chewing. I raised my eyebrow before realizing what he expressed. Right, being so small makes it easier.

I stifled my laughter. "We need a toast." Onoki-sensei said with furrowed brows and a smirk. "Akatsuchi fill the cups!" He did so and we all went with it, raising our cups in the air. "For that time when Mu-sama told me I should have my students while still young!" The three of us shared a look.

"Uuh...kan-pai?" Akatsuchi tried, confused by Onoki-sensei's statement.

"Kanpai!" Deidara and I exclaimed, deciding to get this over with. Sake wasn't that bad. It was scorching and unusual but it warmed me from the inside. Deidara raised his eyebrow at the cup and Akatsuchi stuck his tongue out. "I don't like it."

"Onoki-sensei?" I asked, seeing him lean forward on the table.

"I think he fell asleep." Akatsuchi poked him in the shoulder.

"How to beat the almighty Tsuchikage, un." Deidara pointed at the sake bottle and we burst out laughing. Once we were done with food, Akatsuchi put Onoki-sensei on his back.

"Hey, wait! What about the bill?" The server ran out after us and Akatsuchi looked at passed out Onoki-sensei.

"It's on the Tsuchikage, un." Deidara said before we waved at Akatsuchi and bolted across the village, disappearing into the night.

* * *

 **I love how we know jack shit about Iwagakure but the couple of things we do know are very useful (Stone Monument and the Will of Stone) so thanks Kishimoto.**

 **Also, if you replace the verb _blast_ with the verb _bang_ , Deidara's sentences become a lot more funny.**

 **I made Sayomi cut her hair because I always imagined with her with that kind of look, and I always thought that changing hairstyles/hair length nicely portrays a character's growth. I also know it's a bit weird all three of them passed the exams, but I couldn't leave behind neither Sayomi nor Akatsuchi, since he is a really skilled shinobi.  
**

 **Is the spark between Deidara and Sayomi evident? I'd really like to know what you guys think about them.  
**

 **Shout-out to Langas, the sole reviewer; good fortune will come your way my dude.**

 **Okay I may be whining about the review thing (like every week), but I truly appreciate each and every one of you who decided to click on this story of mine and stay for the ride. You're here, you're silent as fuck though, but I _know_ you're here so I guess it's okay.**


	17. Part 1, Chapter 16

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Sayomi's POV**

"You have no idea how bored I've been." Kurotsuchi said, sitting in her hospital bed with bandages over her arms. She was struggling with the knot on the bandage going around her forehead before finally unwrapping it and leaving her short black hair all spiked on the sides.

"This is my third day here. I've been fine since day one but they won't let me leave." She was fuming. "I don't understand why I can't go home!" She raised her voice but the medic ninja on the other end of the room ignored her. The three of us, Akatsuchi, Deidara, and myself, came to visit her once we heard she's still not been released.

"It's probably because of your burns, Kurotsuchi." Akatsuchi pointed out.

"They've already healed them. I only have to keep the bandages on because of some ointment they gave me to get rid of the scars."

"Be sure to keep that on and don't fight using your arms." I added.

"But it's not like burns can be that bad." I deadpanned, raising my hands and letting my sleeves slip and show her my light pink scars on my outer forearms. Her eyes widened. "Sorry, Sayomi-nee."

"It's fine." I waved my hand. "You could have ended up way worse when dealing with Deidara's bombs."

She looked at Deidara standing by the foot of her bed, having said nothing at all yet. Then she pointed her finger at him.

"I want a rematch!"

He snorted. "You haven't even left the hospital yet, un."

"Next time we'll fight for the Tsuchikage seat so I definitely won't lose."

"We already fought for it and I won, or did you forget that already?"

"Yeah, but next time I'll be serious and I'll beat your art. Also, now I know what I lack in order to beat you."

"Overall skill?" I frowned at Deidara. He wasn't cutting her any slack.

Kurotsuchi pointed at me and my eyes widened. "Me? What's this have to do with me?" Akatsuchi began to laugh silently.

"Sayomi-nee is like your right hand and that makes you an even stronger candidate for the Tsuchikage position. I need to find someone who'll support me like that."

"Hah, good luck with that, un!" Deidara crossed his hands. "You list one impossible thing after another, Kurotsuchi." I couldn't believe my ears and even though I was feeling a bit embarrassed I cracked a smile, my chin in my hand.

"One day we'll fight again, Deidara-nii. That's a promise!"

"Come at me whenever you're ready." I looked at the clock on the wall, standing up seeing it's almost time.

"Well I'll be going now. Onoki-sensei said he wants to have a word with me."

"With me too." Akatsuchi said. "He said to come at his office at eleven." I raised my eyebrow, glancing at Deidara. "He told me ten thirty, un."

"Duuh, all of you are chuunin now. He's no longer your sensei." I looked at Kurotsuchi. "Seriously guys, you don't know anything." She was enjoying in our ignorance.

"You'll probably be assigned to different units for different missions. You have more options and more freedom now that you're chuunin."

"He probably wants to talk to us about that." I said.

"I thought us being chuunin only meant no more D-rank missions." Akatsuchi scratched his head.

"C'mon Akatsuchi, of course it's not only that!" Kurotsuchi turned to him and I shared a look with Deidara who looked slightly annoyed. "Anyway, I have to get going. Get well soon, Kurotsuchi!" I made my way to Tsuchikage building, knocking on the door of Onoki-sensei's office.

"Come in." He was dealing with stacks of paper on his desk and the height of those humps probably amounted to his own height.

"As you already know-" He began, putting a couple of scrolls away. "I'm no longer your sensei once you become chuunin." Yeah, I learned that a minute ago.

"However, since I am the Tsuchikage I play a vital role in shaping your shinobi duties farther on. Now...you remember Rin don't you?" I furrowed my brows.

"I do."

"She's a former Anbu, but instead of appointing her as a jonin sensei to a team of genin I thought she could become your new sensei." My eyes widened.

"You want me to train under her?"

"That is correct."

"Why her all of a sudden? You didn't give me a sensei before." I muttered before it dawned on me. No way, could it be because-

"She will give you a special type of training in order to polish your skills and prepare you for Anbu." I stared at Onoki-sensei feeling as if I'll combust from sheer happiness. Me in Anbu. Me as in Sayomi. Sayomi the dead last of the Academy.

"You want me in Anbu?" I couldn't believe it. This was such an unexpected turn of events.

"Your jutsu and speed are nicely suited for missions Anbu members engage in. I won't draft you in it before you're ready for that. Also-" His eyes focused on mine. "This stays between me, you, and Rin. Anbu's identities have to be kept hidden and even though you're only a potential candidate, you have to abide by the rules." I nodded.

"Rin will contact you soon enough for your training. Good luck."

I went to train after that and only later returned back to my flat. I was getting ready for sleep but then I noticed Deidara was out on his balcony so I stepped outside. He was sitting on the stone fence and I took a seat next to him, noticing he was sculpting an owl, its clay claws wrapped around his left forefinger. None of us spoke and I concentrated on the dark village underneath us and the starry sky. Then I found myself blurting out: "Onoki-sensei wants me in Anbu."

"Me too, un." I looked at him, my eyes widening, and he nearly dropped the bird he was holding, turning to me in surprise.

"You shouldn't have told me that!" We both yelled. I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling like an idiot.

"Great, even after Onoki-sensei told me not to say anything." I muttered.

"Like we wouldn't have figured it out eventually." He said and I sighed. I guess he was right. As if I wouldn't notice Deidara's hair behind the mask.

"He also said my other option is to become new Leader of the Explosion Unit in the next couple of years." I looked at him.

"Really?" He nodded. "Wait, isn't Gari the Leader?"

"He's been killed on his last mission." My eyes narrowed. "You don't look that upset."

He glanced at me. "Because he was an idiot, un. He didn't like my fighting style and I didn't like his."

I shook my head but it really seemed like Deidara didn't care at all. I heard a couple of times, both from him and Akatsuchi, how Gari had a rather difficult personality. If he and Deidara clashed like that I'm not surprised Deidara lacked any sympathy.

"Well if you decide to go for the Leader seat none of them stand a chance against you." He smirked.

"They don't, un. But Anbu seems like more fun."

More fun? Maybe. Challenging? Definitely.

Rin never had anyone train under her but she had a knack for it. She was fierce and strict. She first assessed my Shadow jutsu and told me this: "Considering your jutsu, if I was your Squad Leader I would use you for assassination missions. That means we need to work on your stealth among other things."

Before, I was always left to train by myself. It was because Onoki-sensei gave me freedom to advance in my Shadow jutsu on my own since no one could help me with it. Sure, he gave invaluable advice, but I didn't have a real sensei like Akatsuchi or Deidara did. Now that I experienced it for the first time, I found myself more productive and advancing way faster than before. For instance, even though I trained taijutsu every day, I never thought about working on my own physical strength. Rin made me focus on that now. She also gave me special kinds of training for my speed and stealth, and would make me meet her in the middle of the night to assess my progress in infiltration skills.

I thought she would try and teach me medic ninjutsu, again, once I saw her with anatomy book underneath her arm one day, but it turns out Anbu members had to have basic anatomy skills. So while practicing taijutsu with me she would make me recite all the vital chakra points on the human body.

Her being the best sensory shinobi in the village also meant she liked to play hide and seek with me. Not actual hide and seek, but she would tell me to find her only by tracking her chakra and would then disappear. I wasn't nearly as good of a sensory shinobi as she was, and I could never make my chakra so sensitive to other people's chakra and use it to my advantage. Regardless of that, after two times playing that game with her I realized she always hides in the same spot; in one of the restaurants on the main street.

First time, I was really annoyed because I spent four hours going up and about the village trying to sense her chakra only to find her eating sweets and playing shogi with one male Iwa jonin. Second time, I searched for an hour before going to check the restaurant, just in case. And there she was, so now whenever she told me to play hide and seek with her it actually meant to leave her alone for a couple of hours while she plays shogi. I went along with it, but sometimes she would refuse to get up and I'd take a seat next to her to watch her play. She would either chew on mochi from the local shop or eat taiyaki like a little kid while playing shogi. She wasn't any good at it, though. She knew the rules and she tried really hard, but Masaki always seemed to win.

I saw Deidara every day since we were still living next to each other, but we were often too tired from our training to say more than a couple of words before going to sleep. I managed to learn from him how the Explosion Unit was amidst massive internal fight over the Leader seat. Everyone wanted to become a new Leader and if they weren't fighting for the seat among themselves they were plotting for it. All of them focusing so much on the Leader seat irritated Deidara, but after they told him he's only saying that because he wants to succeed Gari he completely gave up. In straight up Deidara fashion he called them all idiots and focused on his Anbu training. I've later heard from him how a couple of members asked Onoki-sensei to help establish peace in the Unit but not even Onoki-sensei wanted anything to do with them. So the internal fights continued.

Months passed by quickly, the two of us too busy with our Anbu training to truly notice it. I've progressed quite a bit since Chuunin exams, but the extent of it hit me that one morning when Deidara decided to wake me up by detonating one of his bombs above my bed. Even though I was woken up abruptly and by an explosion I still jumped out of bed, taking my fighting stance. Once I figured it was Deidara who woke me up, and was now laughing his ass off, I gritted my teeth and attacked him.

"Deidaraaa!" He avoided my advances while still laughing. "What was that for?"

"Payback for that time after Chuunin exams, un."

"Are you kidding me? That was months ago!" That only made him laugh harder and I stopped attacking him, seething and in my pajamas. The dust from his explosion settled down on and around my bed, getting the whole place stained. I pointed at my now dirty bed. "Oh no, I'm not cleaning this."

He smirked. "You look like you want to fight me. Could it be Sayomi actually wants to fight me for real?" He was mocking me this early in the morning.

"Fine, you're on!" He really looked like he was enjoying himself. "In the forest, this afternoon."

"Before or after the sunset, un?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Make that early afternoon." He got my memo; I challenged him to a fight when the sunlight was near its peak. Even though our winters were cold, we still saw some bleak sunlight.

Maybe I was too hasty saying early afternoon. Today Rin was supposed to be teaching me Temporary Paralysis Technique. It was only a D-rank jutsu but members of the Anbu used it quite often. Though, it seems Rin forgot about that because I didn't find her on our usual training grounds. I waited almost an hour for her before setting my course to the restaurant. She slacked off a lot lately, and said it's because I progress so fast she doesn't have to babysit me around the whole time. I think that had to do with the fact that I babysat myself since forever.

I entered the restaurant, thinking how first Deidara wakes me up with an explosion, then my sensei decides to slack off and play shogi. Both of that so early in the morning really didn't put me in a good mood.

She was licking the red bean paste from her taiyaki, looking at the board. I stood next to the table, pursing my lips at her.

"Rin-sensei."

"Hmm?"

"You weren't at the training grounds."

"Oh I got caught up in this." I glanced at the board. "You were supposed to teach me Paralysis Jutsu today."

"It's only a D-rank jutsu." She waved her hand. "You'll learn it in no time."

"You still have to show it to me." Her hand lingered above the board but she hesitated and I finally flipped, moving a piece in her stead and taking out Masaki's knight. Her eyes widened as she looked at the board and then at me. „How-„

"He always plays this strategy and you never counter it properly." I said, seeing Masaki finally looked at the board for more than a minute. "Can we go now?"

"Fine. I'll finish this later Masaki."

"Maybe ask the kid to finish it for you." He said.

Rin explained me how the jutsu works before showing me the hand signs, but my one attempt failed miserably. I hoped this better not have anything to do with my stubborn Yin release but before I could inspect that further I had to go meet with Deidara. I was actually looking forward to it since we haven't been training together for so long. This could prove to be a good exercise as well as a good test.

Except that when I got there he didn't look ready to fight me.

"Look at this." He said, modelling a clay spider and fusing it with chakra. I put my hands on my hips. "I thought we were going to fight." He threw the spider at the tree, doing a seal and making it explode.

I sighed, deciding to wait for him to finish whatever it was that he was doing.

He took some more clay but this time he fused it first and then modelled it into a spider. He threw this one at a different tree, the explosion making a bigger dent than the first one. I furrowed my brows as he fused his kunai and flicked it at a third tree, making the tree fall down from the force of the explosion. For the fourth tree he went in with his fused fist, blowing the whole chunk of it to smithereens as it toppled down.

I realized what he was showing me. Compared to a fused kunai or his own fist, the clay explosives were extremely weak.

I looked at him. "Is that what you've been working on?" He nodded, staring at the trees and looking dissatisfied.

"I noticed it during Chuunin exams but even after the Old Geezer said he sees the difference in power I thought that it can't be true. I thought it can't be true because I fuse all of them with the same amount of chakra, un." I pointed my finger at the four trees. "So...you've fused your clay and your kunai with the same amount of chakra yet your kunai blew up the whole tree, while your clay only left half the damage?" He nodded.

"It's hard to believe you fused them with the same amount." I crossed my hands.

"The clay is the cause of all problems. I can't use my chakra to its full extent because of how dense the clay is. Look, un." He took another kunai out, this time holding it a while longer in-between his palms. He carefully inspected the trees before flicking the kunai at one. Kunai hit the tree, its power forcing it to pass through the trunk and continue to the second one. The explosion engulfed both trees upon contact with the kunai. Yeah, he was right. With more chakra the explosions were greater.

"Have you tried different types of clay?" I pursed my lips, thinking about it.

"It makes no difference."

"Then a different method of fusing." He looked at me. "I mean, there has to be some other method of fusing you haven't tried yet." He looked at the trees again.

"My art is better than this, un. I have to make it grander, more refined. I want everyone to tremble at the sight of it!"

He became more mature. I could see it in his features, the way he talked, the way he fought. Hell, he's going to be sixteen soon. Two of his most prominent features, his love of his art and his hair, only got bigger and bigger and longer and longer during the years of me knowing him. I loved the fact that despite him getting older and stronger he kept those two traits. Those were the things that always made me think of him.

Seeing the whole thing with his jutsu already gave him enough problem as it is, I didn't force him to spar with me. Instead I proposed we go back and get some rest for a change.

"It's so annoying." He was seething as we walked back but I understood why the whole thing made him frustrated. Someone else would have discarded using clay as a means of forming bombs and instead concentrate on using Bakuton with taijutsu, or maybe Doton. But not Deidara, he never stopped advancing himself and his art. He wasn't about to give up on it, although he couldn't overlook the massive difference in power.

"My art is weaker than Gari's lame fighting style, un." He made a face. "I can hear him say 'told you so' from his grave." I smiled, shaking my head. I knew he would think of something though. It was Deidara after all. He always came up with something.

Sure enough he did and he knocked on my door to tell it to me only hours later.

"The forbidden section?" I asked, still holding the toothbrush in my hand since he decided to interrupt me.

He nodded. "I've tried every type of fusing I could think of, un. Maybe there's a jutsu there I didn't try yet and it might work."

"I don't even know where the forbidden section is. I've only heard rumors about it."

"I thought you were training for Anbu." I deadpanned. "It exists. That's where they keep all S-rank secrets and S-rank jutsus."

"Do you even know where it is?"

"I have an idea, un." I rolled my eyes. "I'm coming with you." He smirked.

"But if we get caught we're in big trouble." I pointed at him with my toothbrush.

"There's no way we'll get caught."

* * *

 _Taiyaki - Japanese fish-shaped cake. The most common filling is red bean paste, made from sweetened azuki beans._

 _Mochi - Japanese rice cake. Fillings range from red bean paste, to green tea, peanuts etc._

* * *

 **Bit of a filler chapter I guess, but now you know what's about to happen in a next couple of chapters.**

 **Or do you? *evil laugh***

 **Thanks for all the lovely reviews, they seriously made my day. Keep 'em coming!**

 **Also, thank you for reading, as always. :)**


	18. Part 1, Chapter 17

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Sayomi's POV**

It took us a couple of days but finally we made a plan for getting into the forbidden section. At first Deidara said the forbidden section must be in Tsuchikage building or in its proximity. But I disagreed. If Iwagakure is attacked, the Tsuchikage building would be targeted first. Forbidden section where S-rank jutsus and S-rank secrets are being kept should be hidden away from it, and the location of Iwa's library fit that description. And that's where we ultimately found it.

So, one moonless night we made our way to the library. It was past midnight and it was really cold so all the windows were closed shut and no one was out. The library was locked but we got in regardless, walking with our flashlights dimmed and looking for traps. We inspected the walls but found no secret entrance so we shifted our attention to the floor. Deidara used Doton to unveil which part of the floor had an underground passage or a chamber and an outline of a trap door appeared soon after. A double seal was on it and we infused our fingertips with chakra, unlocking the passage. The earth doors sunk and we were met with an underground chamber with bookshelves upon bookshelves of scrolls.

However, there was no way to tell which scroll had what Deidara was looking for. And he himself didn't know for sure what was he looking for.

I sighed, knowing we'll have to pull each scroll out and inspect it. I turned the lights on, bathing the room in dim light.

"There's no way we'll be done in one night." I muttered, going to the bookshelf on the left. The scrolls closer to the floor looked older than the ones up top and were coated in dust. I pulled one out only to read 'S-rank jutsu – Doton:' the name was scratched off but I guess I found the shelf containing S-rank jutsus.

"This shelf has S-rank jutsus." I turned to Deidara only to find him putting back a scroll on the bookshelf on the right. "This one has S-rank secrets. I'm not interested in Kamizuru clan, un."

"You keep an eye on the entrance." I nodded, taking a seat on top of the right bookshelf so I was closer to the exit.

He kept pulling out scrolls and inspecting each jutsu written inside. Even though he must have come across a lot of interesting and powerful jutsu none of them were what he wanted. So he put each of them back on their place and resumed with his search.

I kept watching the entrance but after an hour I felt myself getting sleepy so I decided to busy myself with reading S-rank secrets. Was this a smart move? Definitely not. I wouldn't be surprised if punishment for me reading S-rank secrets would be execution but the whole thing was damning enough already. There was no going back now.

I pulled a couple of scrolls from the top shelf because they lacked any dust and looked very recent. What kind of secrets was Iwagakure hiding in this era of peace?

First scroll was nothing special. It was about rogue Ishiagakure shinobi, the ones that weren't so lucky to be traded to Ishiagakure. It seems Onoki-sensei didn't want Ishikage to know these particular ninja had been killed by our men. Second scroll was about some guy named Roshi but the handwriting was so terrible I gave up after first two sentences. I opened the third scroll and lazily read the title, yawning and then almost dropping it on the ground as my eyes opened in shock. I gripped the scroll, pulling it closer to my eyes so I can be sure I'm reading the name correct.

There was no mistaking it. Third scroll was titled 'S-rank secret – Sayomi Ishii.'

No way. There's no way.

I began reading it, soon finding out the scroll was packed with more information than I would have thought.

 _Sayomi Ishii, female, born July 19th to Hayato Ishii and Shiori Nara._

What?

 _Hayato Ishii, male, jonin, proficient user of Doton and Katon and the Captain of Second Iwa Division in Third Great Ninja War._

 _Shiori Nara, female, chuunin, medic ninja and a member of Fourth Konoha Division in Third Great Ninja War._

 _Though it is unknown how or why Shiori Nara defected to the Iwa side there are certain events that have been confirmed by witnesses. Hayato Ishii's Second Division crossed fire with Kirigakure's Third Division and Konohagakure's Fourth Division near the end of the Third Great Ninja War. Witnesses have confirmed he came back from that battle with Shiori, telling everyone who asked that she was a daughter of a merchant from one of the nearby villages. She claimed she wasn't a kunoichi and witnesses testified she bore no headband. After the war had ended the two married and she soon gave birth to their daughter; Sayomi. Though the Third Tsuchikage showed foreknowledge of who her mother might be, the spies managed to infiltrate Konoha and confirm his suspicions only because of their recent attack by Orochimaru and the death of their Third Hokage. Konoha's archives confirmed the story. Shiori was of Nara clan and was on the same battlefield the very day Hayato Ishii's Divison was. Konoha listed her as deceased in war, and have no information about her eloping to Iwagakure, nor that she gave birth. However, when searching for the reason of Hayato and Shiori's death, we could not verify they were killed by a gang of thieves. They left Iwagakure in October and their movements have been tracked all the way to the Land of Fire. They were last seen in a village close to Konohagakure but the reason for their death had not been discovered, nor have their bodies been recovered. Third Tsuchikage signed off the mission as completed and sealed this under an S-rank secret of Iwagakure._

My heart was beating rapidly and I lowered my hands on my lap, feeling them so weak all of a sudden. I stared at the scroll, my head a complete mess. I couldn't concentrate at all. I didn't know on what to concentrate. On the fact I wasn't a pureblood Iwa? That my mother was a Konoha shinobi? That for some reason she came to Iwa's side even though Konoha and Iwa were at war with each other at the time. That for some reason my father married her. That for some reason my heritage had been hidden from me all this time. Why was this an S-rank secret? None of this made any sense. Am I a traitor? Am I an Iwa shinobi at all?

Who am I?

"Leave it to Iwagakure to have hundreds of S-rank Doton jutsus but not anything useful!" I looked up, seeing Deidara placing a couple of more scrolls back on the shelf. I put the scroll in my pouch, taking deep breaths in order to clear my head.

"I'm done for tonight. I'll finish my search some other time, un." He came to the exit as I jumped down from the bookshelf.

"Yeah, let's go." I went back to the flat in some sort of daze. The shock from reading the scroll was ever-present in my body and I wanted to ask Onoki-sensei what all of it meant. Because right now I didn't know what it all meant, yet at the same time I knew it meant something.

I went to my own part of balcony, not saying goodbye to Deidara. I heard him opening the doors as I put my hand on the doorknob only to notice how strongly I've gripped it. I moved my hand from the doorknob, clenching and unclenching my fist in order to calm down.

"What's going on?" I spun around, seeing Deidara standing on the stone fence of my balcony. His hands were crossed and his bangs were moving because of the wind, uncovering his usually hidden left eye.

I opened my mouth but he cut me off: "If you say nothing I'll blast you, un." I sighed, but without much debating reached into my pouch and threw him the scroll.

"I don't know what's going on." I entered my flat feeling slightly better now that I got rid of the scroll. Or maybe the burden had been lifted because I shared it with him.

He usually knocked before entering my flat through the makeshift doors. This time he didn't knock. Well, not like I was sleeping. I was actually meditating on my carpet, or maybe a better description would be; I was _trying_ to meditate. He sat in front of me, placing down the scroll and his hands on his knees.

"This is a stupid reason to be upset." I gritted my teeth. "Stupid? Have you read the scroll?" I wanted to shake him back to his senses.

"Yeah."

"And is any of this normal to you? Do you even realize what this means?"

"What does it mean, un?" I flailed my arms around. "It means I'm not...All of this-I-„

"You're still Sayomi, aren't you?" He looked annoyed but I was so angry I paid him no mind.

"But I'm not just Sayomi anymore! I'm Sayomi Ishii. At the same time I'm not because my mother wasn't even an Iwa shinobi."

"Quit acting like a little brat, un. Why should this change anything? Your parents are still dead, you're not regarded as a traitor and you've been without a surname your whole life so-"

"How did Onoki-sensei know who my mother was?" I blurted out what was bugging me the most. He shut up.

"Huh? Explain that to me. It says right here that the Third had a foreknowledge of who my mother might be. Why is that, hmm Deidara?" I leaned forward, knowing that he can't brush this off.

"If you want to know so badly ask the Old Geezer himself."

"Oh yeah, let me just straight up admit I broke into the forbidden section and read an S-rank secret." I kept freaking out.

"You're over complicating things, again, un." He rolled his eyes.

"How would you feel if you had found an S-rank secret about your heritage?"

"It wouldn't make any difference because A: my parents are dead. And B: it wouldn't change anything." He emphasized and I pursed my lips.

"How do you know this doesn't change anything?" I saw him inhaling in annoyance but surprisingly he persisted. If he were dealing with anyone else instead of me he would have gave up long ago.

"Do you want to go to Konoha?" He asked me, his eyes on mine. I blinked, taken aback by the question. "I...No."

"Do you want to be a Konoha shinobi?"

"I'm an Iwa shinobi."

"Then it doesn't really change anything, un." I held his gaze before glancing at the scroll. I felt confused and...tired.

I exhaled, giving up. Maybe he was right. Maybe it really didn't change anything.

But I couldn't get the scroll out of my mind for the next couple of days. I got better as time passed though. I was still pondering how Onoki-sensei knew about my mother but I wasn't about to march in his office and ask him to clarify it any time soon. I was giving up on that idea entirely. The information from the scroll only kept weighing me down and I wanted to go back to the forbidden section to return it and act like I never learned anything in the first place.

Deidara woke me up in the middle of the night, two weeks after our first break-in in the forbidden section.

"Now?" I sat up with a yawn. "Tonight's an overcast so it's the perfect timing. C'mon, un." So we went back and I returned the scroll, breathing a sigh of relief. Forget you've ever read this, Sayomi. It's an S-rank secret for a reason.

While Deidara went back to his search I sat down to decipher the messy handwriting about Roshi. Turns out he was a jinchuuriki of the four-tails. It seems Iwagakure had a tailed beast after all. The scroll stated he left the village to understand the power of his tailed beast now that he was a jinchuuriki but despite leaving the village he wasn't a missing nin. Still, to let our only jinchuuriki walk out of the village just like that was really irresponsible. It did seem like the Anbu were keeping tabs on him but the last entry was over a year old. I knew about jinchuuriki from the scrolls Onoki-sensei had us read a long time ago. I never paid it any mind since I've never met a jinchuuriki before, nor have I ever seen a tailed beast. When was the last time anyone saw a tailed beast?

My eyes widened. Wait, didn't Kyuubi appear in Konoha twelve years ago?

"I found it." I looked at Deidara standing by the exit, holding a scroll. His face wasn't excited, even though he said he found what he was looking for. I furrowed my brows.

"Really? What is it?"

"Let's leave first, un." I returned the scroll and we sealed the place before going back. I followed Deidara into his apartment, demanding my answer.

"Oi, what is it?" He sat down on the floor, unrolling the scroll and unveiling the intricate details of a seal inside of it, writings on each side of the circular seal. I tried to make out the writing but I couldn't read them from my position and I didn't have the time because he already bit his finger and was signing his name in the circular seal. The seal had a break in the middle and a pattern of horizontal and vertical lines going across, with swirls on the four corners.

Deidara didn't stop to explain what he was doing. His blue eyes focused on the scroll, his hands doing the seals. He stopped after the tenth one, placing his hand on the seal inside the scroll.

Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. His expression changed and he raised his right hand from the scroll, bringing it to his chest as if he got burned by the scroll. I made one step towards him before both of us observed a slit appearing on his right palm. It opened, revealing a set of teeth and a tongue. I froze, my eyes widening as I stared at the tongue hanging out of the mouth now situated inside his hand. He raised his left hand from the floor, a mouth on it now as well, its tongue going back and forth. He stared at his hands and I realized he wasn't as surprised as I was because he _knew._ He knew what was about to happen. He wanted to get up but faltered, ending up back on his knees instead. He hastily took his shirt off and I saw the same circular seal in which he signed his name now appearing on the left part of his chest. I knelt next to him, my eyes in line with the seal when a slit appeared in the blank space of it. My breath caught up in my throat. No, don't tell me...

Deidara's face twisted in pain, which was a rare sight, and he fell on his back as another mouth appeared on his chest, inside the seal. The huge tongue practically burst out, somehow violently and I raised my hands, not knowing whether to clamp it shut, to call for help, to-

"Say!" I snapped, looking at Deidara's eyes. He was breathing heavily and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and neck, yet his brows weren't furrowed anymore nor were his teeth clenched. The tongue on his chest calmed down and was now hanging out as if it were a real mouth. "Say, you need to sew it shut, the one on my chest. I don't need it, un."

Everything happened so suddenly, so instantaneously, leaving me frozen in fear and shock. Deidara's voice broke the silence, and the fact that he remained calm despite growing additional mouths pulled me back to my senses. I pulled my eyes away from him, running to my flat to retrieve the first aid kit. Once I came back I noticed all traces of pain have disappeared from Deidara's features. He clamped the mouth on his chest shut, but avoided looking at me at all.

I cut the thread with my teeth and prepared the needle with utmost clarity. I've never done it before and I was still horrified from the whole ordeal, but my hands didn't shake. Just like in a battle, I turned off my feelings and concentrated on what I had to do.

I sew it shut without as much as a flinch from Deidara. His pain tolerance was back on its fullest and he kept staring at his right hand and the mouth on his palm. Once the mouth on his chest was sewn shut I packed the kit and snatched the scroll from the floor before going out on the balcony.

The air cooled my head and I saw the scroll was longer than I previously thought. There were 4 other names signed on that same seal, and I missed it earlier because Deidara only unrolled it halfway. He wasn't the only one to have done it even though the seal outside the scroll clearly stated it was a forbidden jutsu. However, when I read what the jutsu does I understood why he did it regardless of the warning.

Iwagakure's kinjutsu used to knead one's chakra into substances. As long as the substance was solid and the mouth could eat it, it could be infused with chakra. The mouths on his hands served that purpose but the one on his chest...it didn't say what was its purpose but it did say that the mouth on his chest was connected to the heart chakra.

I put away the scroll, massaging my temples. It was a S-class kinjutsu. Onoki-sensei will lose his wits. Also, the mouths on his palms were sure to stir up looks from everyone. I wasn't sure myself whether they disgusted me or scared me. Can he even infuse his clay like that? And if he can, will Onoki-sensei think of that as a sufficient reason?

All of this was too much for me. In a span of two weeks I ran into one shock after another. I really wasn't getting a break.

I kept staring at the dark village ahead, feeling worried and anxious. I had a bad feeling about all this.

Then a small white bat flew in my line of vision. My eyes widened, recognizing Deidara's design and the whiteness of his clay. The bat passed in front of me, flapping its clay wings, before going higher up in the air.

"Katsu!" The bat exploded in a shower of blue and green light, disappearing as fast as it appeared. It wasn't a standard explosion.

I spun around, seeing Deidara looking at the sky with his right hand in a seal and a smile on his face. "It's the art of a single moment, un. A fleeting moment of explosion."

"They're alive. Your sculptures – you've made them alive." I smiled, remembering the way the bat flew and the shower of light in which he disappeared. "You've never made an explosion like that before. I didn't know you could do such a thing!"

"Because now I can control how much chakra I put into my bombs." I came closer as he fed the clay to the mouth on his left palm. It chewed for a moment before spitting the clay out which then Deidara modelled. This time it was a butterfly and it flew up as if it were a real live butterfly. I grinned and he detonated it, another firework in colors of purple and blue.

"So if you can make them alive now-" I turned to him. "You can bring your birds to life!"

"And I can make them fly for miles before detonating them, un!" He grinned.

"Or any kind of animal." I kept thinking up possibilities. "Spiders that can hide and crawl on top of you before-"

"Bang!" He seemed so happy and I could feel his excitement. Then I glanced at his hands and the newly formed mouths on them and my smile wavered.

He noticed it and half-turned away, looking at his hands. I bit my lip, feeling like an idiot. Of course I couldn't overlook the mouths but they did just make his jutsu a thousand times more powerful.

Get a grip, Sayomi. If you're really his support, just like you say you are, you'll have to support this decision as well. If you can't accept them, no one ever will.

I inhaled and closed my eyes, taking his hand in mine and trying not to make any weird faces. The tongue on his palm kept licking my own palm, and the fact that I could feel its saliva caused goosebumps to appear on my arm but I kept holding his hand regardless, trying to get used to the feeling.

I opened my eyes after a minute, looking at the sky and noticing the tongue didn't rage as much anymore.

"Can't you control them?" I asked.

"I'm trying, un." I couldn't force myself to look at Deidara because I was holding his hand in a way and I tried not to think about that part.

"I think my parents were killed by Kyuubi." I shared a thought I got while reading that scroll about Roshi.

"By Kyuubi?" I nodded. "The scroll said my parents were near Konoha before their death and Kyuubi appeared there around the same time."

"Why would your parents be in Konoha in the first place?"

"Maybe because of my mother. Kyuubi could be the reason why their bodies were never found." That was the only reason why I considered Kyuubi in the first place. Now that I said it out loud the whole thing sounded stupid.

"You can't know that for sure." I shrugged. In the end, it really didn't matter.

"Onoki-sensei won't be happy about you using that kinjutsu." I glanced at him but he didn't look worried.

"I don't care, un. I've transformed my art once again. This is my ultimate art form, it transcends even pop-art." I cracked a smile. "Art of a single moment, right?"

"My art is an explosion itself." He kept grinning proudly. "Terrifying but beautiful. No one can beat it now." He looked at me.

"I told you I'll show you my art developing to the fullest, un."

I nodded, remembering that day long ago. "You've kept your promise."

* * *

 ***sobbing* they're so CUTE!**

 **A lot has happened in one chapter, but to break this down in two smaller chapters just seemed dumb. So, here ya go, shit went down.**

 **Or did it? Actually, shit goes down next chapter, but I'm still not sure I'll post it next Wednesday (like I usually do) because I have a shitload of Uni work. I may take a break next week and post 18th chapter in two weeks.**

 **Tell you what, if I get five reviews I'll make sure not to die next week and post new chapter regardless. If not, I'll take a short break.**

 **Kinda evil, I know, but believe me when I say I won't sleep at all next two (three) weeks. This is also the most important chapter so far so I'm really curious what you thought about it, both about Sayomi discovering her past and Deidara casting the kinjutsu. (I know Sayomi's report doesn't sound...believable, like why would it be packed with so many details, but I needed it to be filled with details. Also, if it's an S-rank secret, any kage that comes after Onoki has to be able to understand it...I think...meh bear with it.)  
**

 **Thank you for reading, as always. :)**


	19. Part 1, Chapter 18

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 18**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Deidara skipped his Anbu training the next day. He said he has to test exactly what he can and cannot do now that the kinjutsu came into play. He told me to cover for him and went to the canyon outside the village to practice. I went to my own training and later to my flat just in case someone will look for Deidara.

And it was Akatsuchi who decided to visit.

"Long time no see, Sayomi!" He waved to me as I opened my eyes, breaking out of my meditation. "Akatsuchi!" I smiled, going closer to him.

"Where's Deidara?"

"On his training. What's going on?"

"From today on I'm Onoki-sensei's bodyguard." My eyes widened. "What? When did that happen?"

"He said it's safer to have his own student guard him." He seemed really proud of himself and I grinned. "Congrats Akatsuchi. You're perfect for that position."

"Onoki-sensei told me to find you and Deidara because he wants to ask you how your training is going." Now of all times?

"Oh...I don't know where Deidara is. I have my own training soon so...can you tell him we'll see him tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Great. Thanks a lot, Akatsuchi." As he went away I began pacing on my balcony, knowing it's only a matter of time before Onoki-sensei sees what Deidara's done. I had a feeling he'll get angry on us for breaking in the forbidden section. I also knew how it will take a while to resolve the issue about Deidara casting a kinjutsu on himself. But frankly what worried me the most was that I was the only one worried about all of that.

Deidara skipped his training again tomorrow and I had to hide myself from Akatsuchi in the back of my flat. This was bad. Onoki-sensei will surely get suspicious now that we've stood him up for two days straight. Deidara came back later at night and I went to his flat to say we really need to come up with a plan for this whole kinjutsu thing because it was getting too suspicious by each day. Although he seemed pleased I was awake he didn't care about the issue at hand.

"Look!" He showed me a clay spider he made and its bouncy legs.

"Earth to Deidara! What will you tell him when he asks you about the kinjutsu?" He rolled his eyes.

"The same thing I told you. What do you want me do to, make a speech? Old Geezer doesn't listen to speeches, un." The clay spider jumped on me and I froze, goosebumps appearing as he went up my arm. I didn't like real spiders but I was fine with Deidara's clay ones, up until he made them behave like real spiders. Now I wasn't so thrilled.

"Don't I have enough burns already?" I said as the clay spider settled on my shoulder and I glanced at it.

"He moves like a real spider." I took him in my hand.

"Except this one can jump on your face and explode, un." I chuckled, looking at him. "Can you make me a bird?" He cracked a smile, modelling some more of the chewed up clay the mouth on his hand spit out. Once the bird left his hands it flew around the room, and I grinned at the sight of it.

"I don't need real birds anymore." I muttered and he made a seal, making it explode in a show of light. The clay spider jumped up in the air and burst into colorful lights like the bird before it.

"But I have something better to show you." He said.

"What?"

"Old Geezer isn't the only one who can fly, un." He smirked and I gaped. "No way!" He nodded, gloating about the whole thing.

"But how? Even if you can fly on your birds, you'd have to make them bigger to be able to do that." He crossed his hands. "Come on, un. Do you really doubt me?"

So next morning I skipped my training too, being too curious to see how he can fly on his clay birds. To be honest, I wanted to try that myself. That time when Onoki-sensei made us fly was really fun.

"I told you I'd need a summoning animal that can fly faster than the Old Geezer. So I made my own, un." He modelled the infused chakra into a bird before throwing it away and doing a seal. However, this time the bird didn't explode but actually enlarged. My eyes widened as I went closer to the huge white bird, knowing that it's still made out of clay no matter how alive it seemed.

"Have you tried flying on it?" I turned to him and he nodded. "I did so yesterday."

"That's insane." I smiled, thinking how he keeps surprising me with his ideas. There wasn't a hint of regret in Deidara's eyes, and he only kept proving to me how useful the kinjutsu really was.

"Why have you two been ignoring my calls?" I spun around, seeing Onoki-sensei descending towards us, followed by Akatsuchi.

"I wanted to see how far you've come with your training but-" He saw it. He noticed the mouths on Deidara's hands and his eyes widened, stumbling as he landed on the ground.

"Don't tell me – Deidara!" He yelled, his face becoming enraged. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"Onoki-sensei-" I tried but was cut off by Deidara who jumped on the clay bird, looking down on Onoki-sensei.

"I did what I had to do, Old Geezer. With this I'm more powerful than before, un." He looked at the mouths on his hands while Onoki-sensei and Akatsuchi stared at him wide eyed. I bit my lip, my eyes darting between the two of them.

"That kinjutsu is forbidden for a reason! You had no right to take it or to cast it on yourself!" Deidara crouched, pointing at the clay bird he was standing on.

"I've wanted to reach new heights in my art, transform it into its final form. Don't you see the refined lines, the form that surpasses all my previous attempts of conveying shapes and movement, un. It surpasses every boring 3D art style, unmatched even by pop-art!" I think I was the only one, not only on that clearing but in the whole village, who knew what Deidara was saying.

"And now it goes beyond mere sculptures! With this they are versatile, they utilise my Bakuton to the fullest and are not bound by range, strength, size, terrain – none of that matter to me, un. And their existence is that much more sublime because my chakra brings them to life and my chakra finishes their existence as an explosion! It's the ultimate art!" He clenched his fist, looking so proud.

Deidara may have sounded like a madman to Onoki-sensei and Akatsuchi but he wasn't talking nonsense. All those things he said were true, yet he should have chosen to show it to them instead of just talking about it. That way they would have realized it for themselves, just like I did.

"Stealing a kinjutsu is punishable by death! I don't care how stronger it made you, I-"

"You don't _care_ how stronger he's gotten because of that kinjutsu?" I yelled. "You told us to become stronger for the sake of the village and now when he does you wish to execute him? Your own student?!" I finally broke my silence, not believing my ears at Onoki-sensei's statement.

"That kinjutsu is an abomination!" He turned to me, pointing at Deidara. "Then why didn't you get rid of it? Why does it sit in the library if it's an abomination?" Akatsuchi scratched his head while Deidara leaned towards us.

"You haven't even seen what I'm capable of, Old Geezer! Village elders wanted you to make me a jonin, un."

"That rule is there for order! It's not made to be broken and whoever goes against it will have to meet the same fate, regardless of who it is. If I keep him alive it only encourages behaviour that goes against my teachings-"

"These are not your teachings, it's the rule of the First Tsuchikage that you refuse to break!" Then I remembered; that was Onoki-sensei's grandfather.

He ignored me and turned to Deidara. "The rules are clear. Either you get rid of that kinjutsu or I kill you right here and now. I will not have my student steal a kinjutsu and walk this earth without consequences." Deidara gritted his teeth and his clay bird flapped its wings, raising him up in the air. It seems there was no other choice. If he fights Onoki-sensei he'll show him just how stronger he became. Onoki-sensei may be the most stubborn person in existence but even he will budge if it's by force. I could no longer see it happen by words only.

"You always viewed my art as nonsense! But I'll show you! My art transcends life and eternity, un! It's a single fleeting moment – _My art is an explosion!_ " Onoki-sensei began to levitate and I could see a fight was about to break out. I debated about helping Deidara by trapping Onoki-sensei in my shadow but in the end decided against it. He can hold his ground against him just fine, and considering how angry Onoki-sensei was, he'll have to.

Deidara saw that the fight was imminent and went higher, soon sending two bird at us. They were fast approaching and I stood there, waiting for Onoki-sensei's answer to the looming threat of Deidara's Bakuton. But before the birds could reach us my eyes met with Deidara's for a fraction of a second and the birds suddenly exploded.

My eyes widened as the birds exploded before they've even reached us, smoke covering the sky above us. The sound of the explosion made us cover our ears and the forcefulness of the detonation caused massive winds to shake the forest around us. His explosions were more powerful now, Onoki-sensei must have noticed it too.

Once the smoke cleared I saw that Deidara was gone. I guess he chose the third option; to leave.

Onoki-sensei went up, his eyes narrowing as he looked in the direction of the mountains.

"He's already that far." He muttered. "Akatsuchi, double the patrols on the mountain area. I'll tell the medic unit to prepare for the extraction of that kinjutsu."

In a fraction of a moment I was left alone on that clearing and I stood there, feeling rage building up inside my body from the whole ordeal. I was angry on Onoki-sensei for being so unreasonable but I was more angry on Deidara. Why didn't he fight him? Why did his birds explode half-way? He could have fought with Onoki-sensei on equal footing and him not doing so angered me to no end.

I knew Deidara well enough to know he won't come back. No way he would after being betrayed by his sensei and the man he wanted to succeed. No one in their right mind would come back, especially not someone like Deidara; the one who treasured his art more than anything only to have it repeatedly looked down on by others.

Both of them were so stubborn. Iwa shinobi were particularly stubborn, as if their Will of Stone amounted to pure stubbornness that could not be shaken no matter what. Deidara won't give up his art and Onoki-sensei won't give up his old-fashioned rules.

Unless I make him, somehow.

I marched all the way to the Tsuchikage building, deciding to bring Onoki-sensei back to his senses if it's the last thing I do.

"Onoki-sensei!" I nearly kicked the door down, entering his office. He was sitting by his table, fingers intertwined as he stared in front of him. He looked up, his eyes slightly narrowing once he saw it was me.

"Has Deidara returned yet?"

"Extracting that kinjutsu would be equal to death to him. He won't let you do it."

"Then I'll kill him." But he didn't sound so sure now even though I noticed he was still very angry.

"He wasn't lying to you. His Bakuton brings his sculptures to life. They're like living animals who die in an explosion. Just imagine if a war breaks out, his jutsu would be priceless." He kept looking at me. "He is a prodigy of our entire generation and your own student, you know he's invaluable as a shinobi, but this kinjutsu elevates him farther than anyone in the village." I was keeping calm for the most part because I thought if I throw all the facts in front of Onoki-sensei he'll be able to see what I was seeing.

"There is a reason why a certain kinjutsu gets forbidden, Sayomi." I gritted my teeth.

"There are three possible reasons why something gets forbidden. If the usage of a jutsu causes harm to the user themselves, if the usage of a jutsu brings about huge moral cost or collateral damage, or if a jutsu violates the laws of nature. It does not come with a great moral cost nor does it harm him and if he doesn't care that he now has mouths on his palms, why should we?!" Yeah okay, the last part was a massive stretch, but a lot of things were unnatural. Onoki-sensei decreasing his gravity to be able to fly might as well go against nature.

"How many times will I have to repeat myself? The rule is in place for a reason and it's valid for everyone. He can be strong without that kinjutsu." He didn't listen to me. He pretended he didn't hear all my arguments. That was driving me nuts. He kept saying what he had to, not even giving it a second-thought, and that kind of irrational behaviour infuriated me more than anything ever.

I chose my next words carefully, trying to get them out of my system as calmly as possible even though rage was clashing inside my stomach like I've swallowed a bunch of stones.

"If you don't pardon Deidara, Iwagakure will never become anything more than a humiliated village that never regained its pride or strength after the Third Great Ninja War!" His eyes widened and I knew I struck a nerve. His right hand clenched and he looked at me, giving me a stone cold glare which I returned.

"I gave one pardon too many." It was as if someone kicked me in the stomach, knocking all air from my lungs.

Me...he meant me.

I turned on my heel and went to the doors. There was nothing more I could say to him, there was nothing I _wanted_ to say to him.

I went back to my flat, looking up at the sky the entire time and praying Deidara won't come back. That kinjutsu was now a part of him. With it he transformed his art, and he won't give it up. Like I said; him giving up that kinjutsu would be equal to death. Especially now that he saw what he could do with it.

Once I came to my flat, I stood in front of my dresser, looking at the only two things I kept on it. The first was the clay bird Deidara gave me first time I met him. Second one was our team photo, taken after we've passed Chuunin exams.

Akatsuchi's tall figure in the back, his smiling face above the yellow scarf we bought him for his sixteenth birthday. His hands pushing Deidara and me in front of him; me with newly cut dark brown hair and a clumsy grin. Deidara fresh out of the battle, without his sleeves since one got torn by a giant shuriken, and with bandages over his arms. He was grinning, his blond hair going over his left eye and down his back. And lastly Onoki-sensei, floating in front of us with his hands crossed, space around him slightly blurred. He was smiling proudly and he had every right to, since all three of his students just passed Chuunin exams.

He wasn't proud right now.

I sighed, massaging my temples. Now what do I do? How do I fix this if Onoki-sensei won't listen to words? Maybe if I drag Deidara back and try to get them to fight. Maybe then will Onoki-sensei realize. But to make Deidara attack the village, which he could do with ease, would be an act of treason. That won't help his case. Do I ask Kurotsuchi for help?

No...I was the problem, he said he gave one pardon too many. But why would he pardon me? I had nothing to do with Konoha. My mother was their kunoichi and she willingly came to Iwa, at least by all accounts. So why was I the pardoned one?

I sat on my bed, going over everything I read about in my scroll. That one part was still bugging me, how they wrote that the Third had a foreknowledge of who my mother might be. Why was that? What did he see? He saw something in me that made him think of Konoha, of my mother's clan, but they didn't write what was so special about the Nara clan. What was so unique about me?

I kept sitting there for some time, my head in my hands propped on my legs. Then the shadows of the photograph and the clay bird shifted as sun moved outside and I remembered something that happened a long time ago, the first time I uncovered my Shadow jutsu.

Onoki-sensei asked me to come with him after our training, asking me where did I learn my Shadow jutsu. He described it perfectly too, which I thought was suspicious only later. I asked him about it during those months of us training for the Chuunin exams. I was frustrated because he told me I'll have to advance in my Shadow jutsu by myself, and when I didn't know how I got told by Deidara to stop whining. So I came to Onoki-sensei's office one day, deciding to pry out how he knew what my jutsu does and why did he ask me where I learned it. I thought his knowledge about it came from someone in the village, someone else who used it beside me. I wanted to find out if such a person existed and if I could train under them. However, Onoki-sensei gave me a completely different answer.

"If you saw someone using kunai for a teleportation jutsu you would know the name of that technique, regardless of the original user passing away." I furrowed my brows.

"Are you talking about Flying Raijin?" He nodded. "Exactly. Second Hokage used that jutsu but it was only years later, when Fourth Hokage began using it, that it resurfaced again. Regardless of not seeing it for a long time I knew the name of the jutsu. That's exactly how I know what your jutsu does and that its name is Shadow Bind."

"Shadow Bind? You didn't tell me its name before."

"It was written in one of the scrolls you had to read."

"I did read all of them!" He sighed.

"Well I'm certain it's in one of the scrolls. I'll tell someone to find it for you. Now go away, I'm busy!"

I never got that scroll and frankly I forgot all about that interaction.

I looked at my hands. The Third had a foreknowledge of who my mother could be. The Third knew the name of my jutsu and what it did. The Third asked me _where_ I learned my Shadow Bind.

My eyes widened in realization as everything in my brain fell on its place. Shit, was my jutsu what made him think of Konoha? Was my jutsu so special it belonged to only one clan?

Maybe that's why he pardoned me. Maybe that was so damning to him. If a Konohagakure shinobi ever sees me, an Iwa shinobi, doing a jutsu only someone from Konoha could know, they would want to kill me. They would want my head, no, they would want Onoki-sensei's head for hiding me in Iwa. Maybe they'd accuse him of stealing Nara clan's jutsu. I must be a giant risk for him.

"Sayomi-nee!" I turned my head to the window, noticing Kurotsuchi standing on my balcony. I went outside, seeing the black-haired girl a bit out of breath.

"I saw Akatsuchi a moment ago and he said he's going to patrol the mountain area because of Deidara-nii. What's going on?" I sighed, looking at the late afternoon sky.

"Deidara cast a kinjutsu on himself in order to be able to infuse his clay with his chakra. He needed a better method of doing so and that better method involved him having mouths on his palms." Her eyes widened.

"They chew the clay and knead chakra into it. You remember his bombs, don't you?" She nodded.

"Now his Bakuton makes them alive. He doesn't have to throw them around his enemy any more, he can literally let the birds fly to his enemies on their own. That's how drastic the change is now that he can control how much chakra he puts in them. Onoki-sensei saw what he did and said the rule states that whoever uses that kinjutsu will either be executed or have it removed." I was still bitter about it.

"He wouldn't really kill Deidara-nii...would he?"

"Both of those options are the same to Deidara. He won't give up that kinjutsu now that he's seen what he can do with it."

"Is it really that bad? The mouths?" She looked at her palm.

"They are kind of horrifying but you get used to them. Deidara doesn't seem to care and he's the one who has to live with them. So why should it bother us?" I wasn't thrilled about them myself, but Onoki-sensei's reaction only fueled my spite. They can think what they want about Deidara, he's not the type to care, but I won't be like them. Not ever.

"I guess..." She hesitated. "So, where's Deidara-nii right now?"

"I don't know. He left and I don't think he'll come back unless Onoki-sensei changes his mind about that kinjutsu."

"I'll talk to gramps. He'll have to listen to me."

"I already talked to him and he ignored all my arguments. I don't know what else to say to him." I looked at the village, recalling the conversation.

 _I gave one pardon too many._

Right...there's nothing I can say to him anymore. But that doesn't leave me completely powerless.

"Come with me, Kurotsuchi." I said, going to Deidara's apartment through the makeshift doors. The scroll with the kinjutsu was on his table and I took it, twirling it in-between my fingers.

Yeah, it's up to me to fix this. I'll use the secret of my mother's heritage as a bargaining chip. I'll go back to Konoha where I'll pose no risk for Onoki-sensei, no, for whole Iwa, in case Konoha finds out who I am. In return, he has to pardon Deidara.

Oh he won't like that. But I didn't like him being so cruel and right now that seemed like the only sound plan. I have to bring Deidara back and strike a deal.

"Kurotsuchi, you take this." She stopped looking at clay sculptures all around Deidara's flat, turning to me. I unrolled the scroll, showing her five names inside five seals. She squinted at the scroll.

"That's Deidara's name." I nodded. "See the rest of the names? They all cast that kinjutsu on themselves just like him."

"But I've never seen anyone in the village who has what you've described."

"Me neither, but the names are here. The kinjutsu wasn't made specifically for clay so they must have used it for something else. You have to hold onto it." I handed her the scroll.

"Me? Why is that important?"

"It's evidence that he's not the only one who's done it. I think that will prove valuable in the future. Even better if you find out what happened to all of them. Don't let anyone know you have this, though."

"Are you going after Deidara-nii?" I nodded, going back to my flat and taking my backpack.

"I have a plan to make Onoki-sensei overlook what Deidara's done. I first have to find him, though. Then I'll fix all of this...somehow. If I'll have to make them fight for it, I will. If I'll have to fight Onoki-sensei, I will." I took a couple of scrolls, sealing in them a change of clothes and additional weapons.

"Kurotsuchi, get me some clay from Deidara's flat." I sealed that too. I threw all of the scrolls in my backpack, grabbing my dark red cloak. I knew finding Deidara won't be an easy task, so I didn't even bother saying to her I'll be back in a day or two. I knew that won't be the case. Who knows where his clay bird carried him.

"Sayomi-nee..." I shouldered my backpack, deciding to hide in the forest until sunset and then make my way across the mountains. I had to be mindful of the patrols Onoki-sensei put there.

I came closer to Kurotsuchi, giving her a smile as I put my hands on her shoulders.

"It'll be fine, Kurotsuchi. I promise. You keep training hard and take care of Akatsuchi." But then I lost my smile, not knowing for certain if my plan will work or if I'll even find Deidara to begin with. "Don't become...don't become someone who sees something different and-and-" She put her hands on her hips. "Oi, this speech of yours sounds as if you don't plan on coming back." I guess I did sound so desperate and miserable.

"I'll be back in no time."

"You better be! With Deidara-nii! He owes me a rematch and you owe me a sparring session!" I gave her one last smile as she waved me, taking the scroll I gave her and leaving. I inhaled, shutting the blinds in my flat before locking it. I went to Deidara's part of balcony and the whole place, still littered with his sculptures but devoid of his presence, seemed like a remnant from some other time. As if he didn't leave the village this morning but a couple of years ago.

I thought about going back to the forbidden section to take my S-rank secret but decided against it. It was too risky now. Then I went to the exit of the village, stopping only at the entrance of the forest to take one last look at it before telling myself to get a grip.

I'm not coming back to Iwa without Deidara and I'm definitely not staying here only to serve a village that follows old-fashioned rules and doesn't care for its shinobi. I knew that everyone would follow Onoki-sensei's orders to death. The rule was true no matter who held the Tsuchikage position, that's how loyal Iwa's shinobi were. But what was the point of following Tsuchikage's rules to death if he rejected anyone who disobeyed him, even if that disobedience was for the sake of the village. Deidara didn't cast that kinjutsu on himself without a purpose and he wouldn't have left if it weren't for Onoki-sensei making that the only choice.

Deidara did what he had to do and now it was my turn to do the same.

* * *

 **I'm back y'all! Thanks for waiting for me and reviewing, it really helped me get through the midterms.**

 **Okay, first of all: shit went down. This chapter and the next one will be hella dramatic because I was listening to 'Hold the line' by Toto while writing this, and I was really feeling it. (it's a really good song though)**

 **Second of all: weekly schedule is back, so next chapter will be posted next Wednesday.**

 **Third of all: I love how Sayomi thinks her heritage is that important she can blackmail the Tsuchikage with it. Ah, teenage rebellion. (says me, and i'm still technically a teenager.)**

 **I guess that's all I had to say. Whoever reviewed that gem replacing all _blasts_ with _bangs_ , the "if you say nothing I'll bang you, un" gave me nightmares. Jk, it was a good one - thank you for making me laugh.**

 **Thank you all for reading, and as always: review review review. :)**


	20. Part 1, Chapter 19

**Part 1**

 **Chapter 19**

"Give it up already, Old Man. Neither of them will come back after all that's happened." Kitsuchi said, standing in front of Tsuchikage's desk with Tenchi and Akatsuchi next to him. Rin was standing near the window and Kurotsuchi in the back of the room, hands crossed.

"Rin hasn't seen Sayomi for more than a week-"

"No, her flat's locked and shut tight. She knew she won't be coming back anytime soon." Rin added.

"And none of our patrols on the mountain area saw her leaving the village?" Onoki asked, looking at Tenchi with his brows raised.

"Those mountains are a natural defence and a pride of Iwa, however, the mountains themselves are a terrible terrain. Not a lot of chuunin have adequate experience to patrol them, and certainly not chuunin and genin that were put on patrol there." He took out a cigarette from his pouch.

"I am aware that that kinjutsu is forbidden but you could have given the kid a pass. I'm not a fan of it myself but it's more dangerous to have him leave the village with it than to keep him as an asset." Rin muttered, ignoring the glare Onoki was giving her.

"I'm not completely disagreeing with her. You could have punished him some other way but Deidara is a powerful shinobi and we could have used him to our own advantage. Now he may even attack us." Tenchi looked at Kitsuchi, blowing smoke from his mouth.

"He took that kinjutsu before leaving the village, right? Was his plan all along to steal it and then defect?"

"No, our investigation proved they broke in the forbidden section two days before he left. And they've broken in it twice." Rin smirked.

"He only left because gramps said he'll either extract that kinjutsu or kill him." Kurotsuchi spoke and Onoki slammed his fist on the table.

"Kurotsuchi!"

"You know that's true, gramps!" She yelled back and Kitsuchi sighed.

"I've given them a week-" Onoki said, taking out a Bingo Book from his desk drawer. "Now it's time for me to do what I need to."

"What's that?" Kurotsuchi asked, glancing at her father but she caught only Rin's eyes. "Bingo Book."

"What? But they're not a threat to the village!"

"This is precisely why I told you you reacted too impulsively, Old Man. Instead of having them protect the village you'll have to mark them off as missing nin."

"Just how powerful are those two?" Tenchi asked.

"I'll tell you." Onoki said, holding the brush in his hand. "They were my students, both highly skilled and highly intelligent. One with a kekkei genkai and a stolen kinjutsu, who could have effortlessly become an Anbu, a jonin, a Captain of the Explosion Unit, you name it. The other one was trained for Anbu, weaves a jutsu that may as well spell the death of me, and is too smart and relentless for her own good. Put those two together and you have yourself a problem. I noticed that problem, yet I thought I took care of it after the Chuunin exam. But that boy is completely mad and that girl is even madder. Both of them always sneaking around...tch." He looked at the Bingo Book.

"The worst thing is that they're still chuunin but if I write here they're S-rank missing nin I wouldn't be exaggerating in the slightest."

"If only you've complimented them like that when they were here." Akatsuchi muttered.

"Unfortunately, Onoki-dono, you're not wrong." Rin said.

"All this seems like it is easily solvable." Tenchi said, avoiding Onoki's eyes. "Yes the kinjutsu is forbidden but with it already in the picture, using its power for ourselves seems like a smarter thing to do than-" Tenchi stopped, sharing a look with Kitsuchi who was telling him it's useless.

"Both him and the village elders don't want to hear that kind of narrative."

"Don't even mention village elders to me. They want my head because of this."

"Well I tried." Tenchi muttered.

"Once you dub them as missing nin there's no going back. If its implemented that means every Iwa shinobi no matter the rank will have to obey a 'kill on sight' order concerning all of the missing nin from that Bingo Book." Kitsuchi added and it seemed Onoki was hesitating about that as well.

"Leave them in the Bingo Book but don't write them off as missing nin." Rin spoke. "Just like you didn't do it to Roshi."

"Oh yeah, another powerful shinobi that's not in the village. At least we know his approximate whereabouts, unlike Han's." Tenchi was really pushing it and Kitsuchi told him with his eyes to stop talking about the jinchuuriki in front of Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi.

"All of you are giving me a headache. It's bad enough both of them are my students."

"And mine." Rin muttered.

Kurotsuchi had enough and left the room, soon followed by Akatsuchi.

"Sayomi-nee promised me she'll come back with Deidara-nii."

"I don't think it's that simple, Kurotsuchi. I want them to come back too, but Onoki-sensei is really angry on both of them."

"Kurotsuchi-chan, can you bring tea to your grandfather?" Secretary went towards them, placing the tray with tea in Kurotsuchi's hands before she could even answer her. Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes, going back to the office.

She almost dropped a teacup but caught it in time, placing it back on the tray. A second later, the teacup cracked down the side and Kurotsuchi stared at the crack, her eyes wide.

She knew a bad omen when she saw one.

"Deidara-nii, Sayomi-nee...you better be back soon or I'll get really, really mad."

* * *

 **Sayomi's POV**

It's been a month since I left the village. Like I thought, searching for Deidara wasn't an easy task. He left virtually no clues since he flew away on his clay bird. I wasn't a sensory shinobi so I was basically travelling non-stop, going from a village to a village and asking its residents whether they've seen a giant white bird in the sky.

At first I had no problem finding people who've seen the bird and I followed the direction they pointed at. But as days and then weeks passed, fewer and fewer people could recall the bird. Then all of a sudden someone who's seen it would pop up, pointing me to a completely different direction than anyone else before him. Such a thing happened two or three times before I realized Deidara must have moved again. Where the hell was he going?

Well, I didn't care as long as he didn't shift his course back to Iwa. Regardless, I hoped he'll soon settle down on one place for a while until I find him.

Real shock came one morning when I overheard a very interesting conversation in a village near Iwate. "That kid sure helped us. It would have taken us months to prepare the terrain for Daimyo's new vacation resort but he did it in no time." I raised my brow.

"Especially considering we would get a hard time from Daimyo if that took more than a week. Seriously, he's so impatient."

"Like you wouldn't be if you were the ruler of this Land." I came closer to the two men.

"I'm sorry, but the kid who helped you...was he a shinobi?" One of the men looked at me suspiciously but the other one nodded. "I think so. He used explosives and was done in no time."

It was Deidara! I knew it!

"When was that?"

"Oh a couple of days ago. I haven't seen him since. But we paid for his services-"

"Oi, Kenji, shut your trap." The other man said. "The Daimyo business is top secret, stop telling it to every single person who asks you about it." But I was already gone. Finally another clue. Maybe Deidara was still in these parts.

But I didn't find him. I took me more than a week but the area around Iwate was ridiculously crowded. I was actually overwhelmed by the whole thing. Some villages were almost as big as Iwagakure and people were enjoying in things I've never seen before; from food to technology, huge markets and carnivals and celebrations. I had to remind myself I'm not sightseeing but actually searching for Deidara, and would promise myself I'll definitely come back one day to have a look at everything that interested me in peace.

I came across another clue about Deidara's doings while passing through a small village north of Iwagakure. I really liked this one because they had a lake in the village, and on the bottom of the lake were colourful looking stones that would reflect light once the sun hit them. It looked like a bunch of explosions happening at the bottom of the lake and I really wished I could show it to Deidara. Then a couple of kids ran next to me, playing on the banks of the lake.

"But did you see him Yuki! I want to fly too!" My brows furrowed and I came closer. "You saw someone flying?" The two kids nodded. "He flew over the abandoned village on a giant white bird!" The girl said, raising her hands in the air as to show how high he was.

"Now we can't play in that village anymore." The boy said, kicking one stone in the lake. "It's because Asahi broke his leg while playing there. My mom said it's too dangerous!" The girl argued.

"You can't get rid of the whole village in one day!" The boy yelled but what I saw later proved him wrong. The village they mentioned wasn't a village anymore. The whole area was in shambles and if that was where they saw Deidara, then it must have been his doing.

So I kept moving, picking up Deidara's random appearances as breadcrumbs and hoping I'll eventually catch up to him. Him using his clay bird to fly around so wasn't fair. I barely got any rest and already two months passed since I've embarked on this mission. I was following him constantly but I didn't seem to get any closer to him.

In one village on the south border I heard 'some blond kid' helped them get rid of a gang of thieves that would come from Takiagakure only to wreak havoc. Then how one village on the border with Kusagakure was also bombed and I learned that only when I walked in on a giant party to celebrate it.

What the hell was Deidara doing?

Everytime he did something with his bombs it would be a commission from someone and judging by the jobs he took he sure got paid well. None of them batted an eye on him being a shinobi as long as he did what they wanted, and all of those commissions were to blow something up. It seems his explosives were helping out a lot of people, however weird that sounded. I certainly had a hard time believing it myself but he definitely didn't attack anyone within border of the Land of Earth, he only used his art to help them.

Three months passed since I left Iwagakure. It was middle of my fourth month on the road when my search eventually brought me to Akamira. I smiled, passing through the streets and remembering the fight that ensued here on our first mission. It was very nostalgic, but I truly took a trip down a memory lane once I ran into Takumi.

"Takumi-san!" I grinned and he furrowed his brows before smiling. "Sayomi? Is that you? My, I barely recognized you."

"It's been a while." I confirmed. "Are you on a mission here too?" I raised my brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Deidara helped us out recently." My eyes widened. "We needed to drill new mine entrances but with his help we made a completely new passageway in only one day. No casualties, for the first time in a while."

"He...he was here?"

"I think he still is. Last time I saw him was a week ago and he went in the direction of the dojos. Maybe he's still there." I felt my heart beating rapidly and I shifted my weight on my tiptoes.

"Thank you so much, Takumi-san!" I said, running out of the village and towards the mountain. Oh please don't let him be gone.

There were two dojos on that side of the mountain. Only one of them was a dojo because I remembered the other one keeping its shrine decorations. I ran to the first dojo, thinking that's what Takumi meant but I didn't find Deidara in there. So I ran farther up in the forest, deciding to check the shrine too.

I noticed him from afar. He was standing on the entrance of a shrine, his long blond hair tied in a ponytail easily recognisable. I grinned, feeling so happy because my search was over. He entered the shrine without noticing me and I wanted to call him before I heard voices coming from inside. I came to a halt, calming my breathing and hearing Deidara answering someone: "Purpose? I don't need a purpose. I take commissions to make explosions…using my art, un."

I hid myself in-between trees, trying to see what was going on. I heard someone's voice talking back to Deidara but I couldn't make out the words. Deidara's voice echoed again right as I came to the side of the shrine, leaning on the wall. I looked up and saw a window so I carefully made my way to it, making sure not to make any noise or shadows. Once I finally positioned myself so I could see the shrine's interior it was just in time to hear Deidara say: "I feel that true art lives only in that flash of sublimation. True art is an explosion!"

"Disgusting." I furrowed my brows, tilting my head so the statue in front of the window wasn't in my line of view. There were actually three men standing in front of Deidara. Well, at least I think they were men. One of them looked like some kind of a short creature with a tail and a mask, the other one had blue skin and a giant sword on his back, while the third one seemed the most normal out of them. I couldn't make out the details because of shadows inside and the only thing that definitely stood out was that they were all wearing black cloaks with red clouds painted on them.

"Is he finished?" The man with the sword asked.

"Who knows. Who cares? I'll handle this." The only one who looked human said and I noticed he had black hair and a headband on his forehead. I couldn't make out the symbol on it but I did see it was crossed.

"What, you want to fight?" Deidara asked and I bit my lip. Deidara was severely outnumbered, he can't really think about fighting all of them. Also, I had a bad feeling about all this. Something seemed so off about these men.

"If I win you'll become a member of the Akatsuki." Akatsuki?

"That's fine. My art can't lose, un." He suddenly threw the clay spider he was holding at the black-haired man. The man jumped away and the explosion brought down a portion of the wall. The man managed to get away and Deidara's clay centipede burst through the floor, wrapping itself around Deidara.

My eyes widened at the sight, more so when Deidara gloated, his hand in a seal. "Hah, you talk big but it seems that's all you've got." But...the centipede was wrapped around himself, what was he-

Was it genjutsu? Did that man trap Deidara in genjutsu?

"You're done, un."

"Am I? You should take a good look at yourself." And in a fraction of a second Deidara's face changed. He looked at the centipede wrapped around his body, seemingly not comprehending what happened. "What? How?"

"That was close. A little later and you would have blown yourself up." The man with the sword said.

"I told you he was the type who was going to die an early death." The other one added.

"Genjutsu? Since when?" He figured it out.

"Right from the beginning. When you saw Itachi's Sharingan you were already under his genjutsu then."

Sharingan? I know that name. I've read it once, in one of the scrolls. I couldn't remember what was written but I knew I've read it.

That man, Itachi, moved in front of the hole Deidara's bomb made earlier. Sun from behind him lightened up the room and I saw Deidara's expression so clearly I froze in place. I've never seen him so distraught in my life. For him to lose his cool like this...this genjutsu must have shaken him to the core.

The centipede that was wrapped around him fell on the floor and he put his hand over his eyes.

"You just lost this fight. Which means you have to join the Akatsuki."

"I'd love to stick around and congratulate you kid but my Samehada sensed an interesting chakra outside and wants to feed." The man pulled his sword and the sword...did the sword just growl?

"You're right, someone is outside." The creature confirmed and I bit my lip, taking one last look at Deidara. I had no choice, I had to run. They spared Deidara only because they wanted him to join this Akatsuki, whatever that was. But they won't spare me, and if those two were on the same level as Itachi who beat Deidara only with genjutsu, I was definitely in trouble.

I jumped away from the window and saw the man exiting the shrine, waving his sword.

"So, which way is it?" The sword turned towards my exact location even though I was hiding in the shadows of the trees and bushes around me. Could the sword actually sense me?

I carefully took a couple of steps, keeping my eyes on the sword. It growled again and I finally bolted.

This was definitely bad.

I heard the man taking his time but eventually his footsteps became faster and I made my way through the forest, knowing I have to get away from here right this instant. I had to put as much distance as possible between us, so his sword won't be able to sense me.

I put my hand in a Seal of Confrontation, trying to focus my chakra and maybe use my shadow to stop him for a while, or maybe I could even swallow his sword. That'd also be helpful.

Oh how I wish I was in Akamira right now.

Right as that thought crossed my mind I saw a black strip on one of the trees on my path. I was running so fast it took me a moment to figure out my shadow extended to the tree in front of me, and before I could change my course I collided with it.

But I didn't hit the tree. I entered _in_ my shadow, darkness now all around me. It was so cold in there but the whole transition lasted only for a moment before I found myself stepping out on a street in Akamira.

I eventually stopped running, my breathing heavy. I kept looking at the houses around me, thinking I'm in genjutsu because there's no way I'm actually in Akamira. I was halfway up the mountain, in the forest on the other side. I was at least half an hour away from Akamira.

I took a turn and saw people exiting shops and happily talking amongst themselves. I for one must have looked like a lunatic.

After I calmed down I saw I was indeed in Akamira. I wasn't imagining it. But exactly how I managed to get here so fast...well it was some kind of a jutsu because I lost a portion of my chakra after the feat. A jutsu I didn't trigger consciously but it definitely saved my life.

I waited until night fell before making my way back to the shrine. The place was empty and dark, and the only proof of all that happened was the hole in the wall from Deidara's explosion.

Itachi wielding the power of Sharingan, dragging people into genjutsu with no effort whatsoever. The blue-skinned man with a sword called Samehada that can sense chakra. And the third man, or what ever it was, with unknown abilities. All of them wearing identical cloaks and sent here specifically to draft Deidara into Akatsuki, an organisation I've never heard about before.

I went around the temple, feeling so lost. Now what? My plan to bring Deidara back into the village was already complicated enough, now that he's in some organisation the whole thing went through the roof. Can I even get him out of that organisation? It took me more than three months to find him when he was on his own, how will I find him now?

I took a turn to the row behind Buddha statues, opposite of the row with Oni statues. And there it was, a single clay bat positioned in Buddha's palm.

My eyes watered as I stared at the clay figurine. Goddamit Deidara.

He only wanted to do his art. He left the village three months ago yet I caught a sight of his headband as he fought Itachi. His Iwagakure headband bore no mark on it to symbolize him being a missing nin. Maybe had I been faster, maybe I could have gotten him away from here in time to avoid the Akatsuki.

I exhaled, untying my headband from my forehead and taking my kunai out. I crossed the Iwa symbol, leaving the shrine as clouds moved away from the moon.

I'll fix this. My plan remains the same and I'll track the damn Akatsuki if I must. However, I don't think I'll be back home any time soon.

I'm sorry, Kurotsuchi. You'll have to wait for us a bit longer.

 **Part 1 - The End**

* * *

 **Okay, kinda big AN coming people, so be prepared. If you're not interested in my rambles about this story, skip to the end.**

 **That last scene where Sayomi sees that one bat Deidara left - let me give you context for it. I think Deidara had a bunch of sculptures back there, or just kept his clay there, which he obviously took with him when he left with the Akatsuki. Him leaving that clay bat behind is kind of like letting go of his past as an Iwa shinobi as well as letting go of his friendship with Sayomi, because he knows she can't follow him now that he's a missing nin and a member of some kind of organisation. So he didn't leave it there for her to find, he left it there physically so he could leave all of it mentally (does this make sense?). But Sayomi probably saw that as a token of friendship, more than an act of leaving her behind.**

 **And I forgot to say this in last two chapters I posted but that scene where Deidara calls Sayomi "Say", yes that's a nickname (duuh), and yes it sounds a lot like Sai but he's not important in this story (lol).**

 **Now I also want to do a brief comparison of Deidara's actions in the canon and here. You may have noticed how a lot of times in the canon Deidara defends his art; "Don't look down on my art." "That's all right but don't underestimate my art." The last sentence is from his fight with Itachi, and I didn't include it in this chapter even though I did include most of their dubbed dialogue. (I like Deidara's dubbed voice so sue me) I mean, he knows his art is powerful and he's defeated many people with it, yet he stills worries someone might look down on it. My opinion is that he got that in his time in Iwa; people disregarding his art, looking down on it, calling it nonsense etc. That probably stuck with him and as we can see he goes around trying to prove not that he's powerful but that his _art_ is powerful and beautiful and terrifying. (Again, my opinion.) Why I won't write those sentences in this story is because I don't think he has that view of himself and his art in this story/universe. Sayomi noticed his art, and supported it. And because she did that, others couldn't disregard it in the same manner they probably had in the canon. So because Sayomi didn't view his art as nonsense, others saw her actions and changed their view. (Example Kurotsuchi in chapter 17) I'm not saying it's all Sayomi but for example Sasori never said such things, because he knows his puppets were admired in the past. People probably told Deidara he's wasting time on his art, so he defends it very passionately - just look at his fight with Sasuke. It's equal parts defending his art as well as his pride.**

 **I'm sorry for all the rambles, but I really wanted to get that off my chest because I've been thinking a lot about it. I'm not sure I even expressed myself how I wanted it, but yeah... There may be more Deidara rambles in the future because I feel quite a lot for him as a character. I'm also open for any discussions about it.  
**

 **Holy shit part 1 is done. Next week we move on to part 2 which will really be something (especially because I'm still in the process of planning part 2).**

 **What do you think will happen to Sayomi now? What's on Deidara's mind? If you know what, please review.**

 **And as always, thank you for reading. :)**


	21. Part 2, Chapter 1

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 1**

The guards positioned on Sunagakure's borders had their eyes focused on the horizon in front of them. The vast area of the desert that covered almost the entirety of the Land of Wind had a never changing scenery. Yet, they were ordered by their Captain to double the watch on the only entrance of the village and keep their eyes peeled for anyone wearing a black cloak with a red cloud pattern.

The wind carried sand in front of their eyes and the first thing that one guard picked up was a sound of a bell. It was resonating very clearly from the desert in front of him, still he couldn't see anyone.

A couple of minutes later the guard's eyes caught sight of two figures that were slowly approaching the village.

"What's that?" The guard narrowed his eyes, waiting for the sand to pass and reveal him two sets of black cloaks with red clouds on them. The faces of the two figures were hidden by their straw hats.

"Black cloaks and a red cloud pattern. Don't tell me, is that...? Contact Captain Yura immediately!" The man turned, seeing the Captain standing behind him already. "Captain Yura! Some guys from the organization in question have shown up."

"I know. You don't need to worry, it'll be over soon." In a blink of an eye, kunai slashed across the guard's neck. He looked at his Captain in shock as he fell on the ground, blood exiting his wound preventing him from speaking or calling for help. By the time the two figures made their way to the rock border of the village, every guard was slain in cold blood. The man who'd done it came down, droplets of blood on his face as the shorter of the two figures spoke: "Good work, Yura. Do you remember me?"

Yura knelt on the ground. "Of course I do, Sasori-sama!"

"It wouldn't be much of a jutsu if he didn't, un." The other one said.

"They become loyal subordinates after regaining their memory." Sasori said, marveling at his own jutsu. Yura showed them the way through Suna's natural rock defense, the narrow passageway littered with bodies of his fellow shinobi.

"Oi, Master Sasori." Sasori looked at the man next to him. "You were tasked with taking down the Kyuubi, haven't you?"

"What is it to you?"

"I'll trade you Ichibi for the Kyuubi, un."

"Hah, don't make me laugh, brat. What makes you think I have any interest in the Ichibi?"

"You know Suna's layout better than I do...and you are certainly more versed in quietly taking down anyone who poses as a Kazekage." Sasori moved his tail, aiming it at the figure next to him.

"Don't mock me, Deidara!" Deidara cracked a smile underneath his straw hat.

"I'm not mocking you, Sasori my man. I've only proposed you take down the Kazekage instead, un."

"You haven't brought enough clay, is that the case? Talk about your so-called art."

"Fine, then my art will be the one to take down the Kazekage." They exited the passageway and Deidara stepped in front, reaching for his clay pouch.

"Stop right there, brat." Sasori said and Deidara looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"I won't be schooled on art by a kid like you. I'll take down the Kazekage. If I leave it to you I'll only be kept waiting and I _hate_ waiting." Deidara smirked and Sasori swung his tail at the blond artist, making him jump away in order to avoid the poisonous tail.

"I killed one Kazekage before, and this one cannot give me more of a fight than the last one."

"Except you mustn't kill this one, un." Sasori glared at Deidara.

"Make yourself useful and put some traps in place." Then he looked at the village in front of him, sunset on the horizon giving it a golden hue. It's certainly been a while since his last visit. The village hadn't changed significantly and he could still tell exactly which route to the Kazekage's building will be the fastest and the least guarded.

"Yura, make sure anyone who sees me doesn't live to tell the tale." Yura nodded and Sasori finally moved out. Deidara looked at the village's layout, its stone circular buildings reminding him of another village. It's been three years since he'd last seen it and even though he would have loved to go back only to destroy it and show a certain old geezer what he can do, he still didn't act on that wish of his.

He scooped up clay from his pouch, feeding it to the mouths on his palms. Sasori was wrong about one thing...well, maybe not just one. He did have enough clay and he could definitely take down the Kazekage. After all, his training to take down Itachi Uchiha made him develop his jutsu to never before seen masterpieces.

He knelt down, unleashing a swarm of clay spiders, ants, centipedes, scorpions, and mice on the ground. The critters went inside the walls of the passageway, burying themselves in cracks. He took some more clay, repeating the process.

He'll take down Itachi Uchiha eventually, but first...

Deidara's eyes glistened as he made some more of his clay animals, letting them distribute down the entire passageway. That ought to satisfy his partner.

It was well past sunset when Sasori returned, carrying the unconscious body of the redhead Kazekage with his tail.

"Oi, don't tell me you've killed him with your poison?" Deidara was sitting on the ground, his hands crossed and one of his hand-mouths busy chewing clay.

"I have multiple poisons. I don't usually use non-lethal ones yet the mission required it." Deidara stood up and the two went through the passage.

"Nothing brings me more joy than to see this village in such a state. This Kazekage surely must be the weakest one in Suna's history. He barely gave any resistance." Deidara looked behind them.

"Where's your subordinate, un?"

"Kazekage killed him." Deidara deadpanned.

"He was a good decoy so I made sure to repay his debt by killing one of Kazekage's men. The kid dared to attack me with the puppets I created so I put him back in his place."

"Then your infiltration wasn't successful if someone actually saw you."

"He's got my special poison in his blood, he won't be alive for much longer."

They stepped back into the desert surrounding the village. The temperatures now dropped and the wind slowed down. Deidara looked up at the night sky before throwing his clay bird in front of him. The bird enlarged once he made a seal, and Sasori let the clay bird's tail wrap around the unconscious Kazekage. The two men then continued on foot while the bird followed them, carrying their precious cargo.

They didn't come very far, however. They both heard the Kazekage letting out a groan before a confused: „What is this? Where...am I?" Deidara turned and saw the Kazekage kneeling on the sand, blinking at the two figures in front of him. His eyes widened as he looked around, calming down once he saw Suna was nearby.

"Hah, that's interesting." Sasori said while Deidara jumped on his clay bird, making his hand-mouths eat the clay from his pouch.

"It seems your poison wasn't very effective, my man!"

"If it were a poison he'd be dead. Merely a sedative, but it seems it had a different effect on a jinchuuriki." Kazekage stood up, raising himself up in the air with his sand.

"I am the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara of..." He put a hand on his forehead, wincing slightly. Deidara used that opportunity to send a couple of his clay birds at him. The sand protected Gaara from the explosion and he moved his hand, sending a sand arrow after Deidara who flew away from it on his bird.

Seeing that the bird was fast enough to evade his sand attack, Gaara used the sand around them to form a giant tail, resembling the tail of the Ichibi sealed inside him, propelling it after Deidara. He kept flying around, replying to the threat of the sand with the threat of his explosives.

"You say different effect, but to me it seems it had no effect, un." Deidara said, flying around Gaara and sending explosives to destroy the sand claws that were coming after him.

"There's no such thing as 'no effect', brat. If the sedative didn't attack his posterior hypothalamus it affected something else." Gaara didn't pay any attention to Sasori and he himself didn't look eager to jump in the fight and help Deidara. He kept rambling about some medical terms so Deidara ignored him, since he couldn't understand him.

Gaara making his sand into a shape of the jinchuuriki was real useful, especially since sand was all around them and he didn't have to weave any seals to move it. Deidara kept destroying it with his bombs but he couldn't get closer and the sand kept coming after him. He decided to try a faster type of projectile in a shape of birds with double wings. He sent two of those, their added speed enough to evade Gaara's sand. Before they could wound him though, he coated himself in a shell of sand. Deidara observed him, thinking how his shell acted like an egg shell, protecting what's inside.

"Oi, Kazekage!" Deidara tried to catch his attention, but in vain. Massive wave of sand closed in on him, effectively trapping him. Regardless of Gaara hiding himself in that shell of his, he could still see what was going on outside and move his sand accordingly. Deidara didn't think he could do that so the sand caught him off guard. It crushed his bird and he got out with a well-timed explosion but was now falling down. He made another bird and was just about to throw it and catch himself when the sand wrapped around his leg, pulling him back.

Deidara's eyes widened, seeing the sand doing something so similar to another jutsu he knew.

 _Shit!_

The sand resembling the Ichibi opened its jaw to swallow him and he finally threw his bird in the air, jumping on the clay owl and flying away.

"A heads up would have been nice, Master Sasori!" He yelled at Sasori watching the fight from the ground.

"It's your fault, brat. If you'd taken care of Ichibi as planned you wouldn't be battling it right now." He glared at Sasori, thinking how his useless sedative was behind this mess. Then he shifted his eyes at Gaara, noticing his shell of sand had a hole on one side and the redhead's face was now visible. He had enough of sand chasing him around so he changed his strategy.

"Oi, Kazekage! I've planted bombs on the border of your precious village. I won't detonate them if you surrender to us, un." He didn't like the idea of alerting the village to their presence, but if doing so subdues the Kazekage and saves some more of his clay, he won't hesitate.

"My precious village...what was its name? I can't remember." Lines appeared on the red-head's forehead as he tried his hardest to remember the name of the village. The thoughts in his head were all blurry and unreadable, except one: 'protect the village'. That was the only one that resonated, the only one he understood and acted upon, so he fought with clarity despite the state he was in.

"Oh? Maybe it attacked his temporal lobes?" Sasori kept analyzing the effects of his sedative and Deidara rolled his eyes.

Gaara then turned to Deidara who was standing on his clay bird up in the air.

"My name is..." Gaara looked at his hand, not being able to recall it. He was losing control of his thoughts, so he forced himself not to think. He'll act towards the feeling of protecting his village.

"I won't let you do such a thing!" Sand grabbed Deidara's left hand, wrapping itself around it. Deidara narrowed his eyes, sending a clay centipede down the sand and trying to shake it off, to no avail.

"Sand coffin!" The sand crushed his left hand yet he used the opportunity to eat the sand with his hand-mouth, mixing it with chunks of his explosive clay and his Bakuton. Even though he was flying away from Gaara's sand most of the fight, he was testing him. Now he had a pretty good idea how his jutsu worked and just what were his abilities. The speed of the sand that he used for attacking wasn't consistent. Small portion of the sand was faster than the one he borrowed from the desert around them, and it was with that portion that he both protected himself and attacked at massive speed. Judging by the hole in the shell around him, that faster sand got his left arm.

Yes, he remembered now. Kazekage always carried a fix amount of sand with him and that amount must have been mixed with his chakra, making it faster. But if he's the Kazekage, he has a weakness just like any other kage.

Ignoring the pain of his now incapacitated arm, Deidara raised his right hand, deciding to use the village as a decoy after all.

"If you think I was lying about the bombs..." He smirked. "Katsu!"

Explosions rocked the border of Suna and even from afar they saw the smoke and the collapse it caused. Gaara's eyes widened as he turned to stare at the village. He thought his attacker couldn't possibly trigger an explosion with one of his hands crushed by his Sand Coffin. Now that Gaara stared at the collapsed border, fearing for the safety of his village, Deidara used that distraction just like he had planned. He sent another bird towards him, and the explosion would have gotten Gaara had not been for his sand moving to protect him yet again. The faster portion of the sand moved from Deidara's arm and closed the hole in the shell around Gaara. Deidara smirked, raising his hand. His explosive clay in the sand formed ants, making that convenient shell of his into a grave.

"I've got you now, un. Have a little taste of my art!" The explosions rocked the shell from the inside, getting Gaara at point blank. The shell cracked and soon dissipated, revealing unconscious Kazekage floating on a patch of sand. Deidara's clay bird caught him once again before he descended down to Sasori.

"We've wasted enough time, Sasori my man. I-" But Sasori got up on Deidara's bird without much persuasion needed.

"Your messy art probably woke up the entirety of the village. After I made sure to not be seen by anyone." Deidara's bird flew up and he rolled his eyes. It seems Sasori forgot he had a run in with a fellow puppeteer.

"My 'messy' art beat the Kazekage, unlike your sedative, un." He smirked.

"Don't push your luck, Deidara." Sasori looked at unconscious Gaara and the sand that kept breaking from him. "If the sedative really affected only his temporal lobes I'll need to change it a bit...Also, I like this one. His sand forms a very useful shield."

"Don't tell me you'll make him into one of your puppets as well."

"I'd have the previous Kazekage in my collection too, had not been for that slimy Orochimaru."

"Is that why you've sent your spy to him? In the end he only turned traitor and leaked information about us, un."

"Can't be helped. After we seal Ichibi I'll go and deal with him." He eyed the unconscious Gaara. "Or maybe I'll first make this one into art."

"Now, I respect your opinion Sasori my man, but those puppets of yours are hardly artistic."

"Are you trying to make me angry?" He growled.

"I'm only saying that true art lives in that single moment of sublimation, un." He smiled to himself.

"Your art is just a noise and a mess, brat. True art is eternal beauty that's undisturbed." Deidara sighed, having a deja vu of this conversation already happening.

"Do what you want with him. I have other business after we seal Ichibi."

"Going after the Kyuubi already?" Deidara glanced at him. "Maybe."

"What's your deal with the Kyuubi? You've bitten into it as if your name is Kisame Hoshigaki. Or worse, as if you're Hidan." Deidara's eye twitched.

"Don't lump me in the same pile as that idiot, un. There's no particular reason for me going after the Kyuubi."

"Hah, right..."

* * *

 **Meanwhile in Kumogakure**

 **Sayomi's POV**

"Aah! No, please-" The man kept yelling and I sighed, feeling my arm getting tired the longer I held him.

"I'll pull you up once you tell me everything you know about the Akatsuki." I repeated, crouching on the edge of a tall mountain in Kumogakure and holding a Kumo shinobi by its ankle, threatening to drop him to his death.

I usually had better methods of questioning people and acquiring information but I overheard guards talking about an imminent Akatsuki threat among themselves. I tried to find out more details about it but Kumo shinobi weren't the ones to dilly dally on their watch duty, so I improvised.

"I don't know anything about the Akatsuki." I rolled my eyes.

"Surely you know something."

"How do you know about it? Even our own Captain learned it from someone else." I narrowed my eyes, swinging him left to right as he dangled over the cliff.

"Aaah! Okay okay, please don't drop me down!"

"Start talking then!"

"Some guy-I don't know his name but he's a credible source, relayed the info about Akatsuki to our Defence Captain. We are to double the guards on the village borders because of this organisation called the Akatsuki. They wear black cloaks with a red cloud pattern."

"Did he tell you why are they a threat?"

"No, I don't know, I swear!" I had a feeling he wasn't lying since he was only a low-ranking guard. I raised my other hand in a seal and pulled my shadow over both of us, teleporting us to a roof of the restaurant near my inn. I dropped him from the roof I was now crouching on, leaving immediately and making my way to the main street. The guy kept screaming as if he was plummeting down a mountain before he realized he only fell from the roof.

"Huh, what? I'm alive!" I heard him as I entered the inn I was staying at. I was debating whether to leave the village or not since the guards were now doubled. In the end I decided it was too risky and that I'll just have to bide my time and wait and see what happens. Maybe Akatsuki appears in Kumo, and if not, I'll pay a visit to the Defence Captain to see if he knows why they became a threat all of a sudden.

It's been three years since I left Iwagakure and a little less than three years since I last saw Deidara. I haven't heard anything about him, but I did hear info here and there about the organisation he was drafted in.

The Akatsuki, with their signature black cloaks with red cloud pattern. In three years I had traveled from one Nation to the next, tracking any bit of information I could get my hands on. There were sightings of them, and I was probably the only one who knew four of its members. However, not even I was aware of what their objective was. It was clear to me that the moment I find out what that goal was I'd no longer have any problem tracking them. But so far I didn't have any luck with that.

Maybe Akatsuki shows up in these parts soon. Maybe the whole guard thing is just a precautionary measure. Whatever the outcome, I'll have to stay here a while longer to witness it.

Seriously, my life had become so troublesome.

Deidara, I wonder if it's the same for you.

* * *

 **I postponed new chapter for today because today is Deidara's birthday! Also, part 2 has begun - someone better play Hero's comeback.**

 **Part 2 will mostly be me rewriting the canon to suit my story so there will be times where I'll just casually avoid some fights in order to not incriminate Deidara completely.**

 **Also, Sayomi's new jutsu will be explained next week in new chapter so bear with it for a little bit. You'll learn what happened to them during those three years as we progress through the story.**

 **Review pretty please and let me know what you think. Reviews make me more eager to write so I'll get down on planning part 2 immediately and therefore we won't have any more postponing.**

 **And as always, thank you for reading. :)**


	22. Part 2, Chapter 2

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Sayomi's POV**

 **Current location: Kumogakure**

It was morning of the fifth day since the order was issued, and no sign of Akatsuki anywhere near Kumogakure's borders. To me it seemed as if the warning was supposed to be adopted for a longer period, and not to be taken as a prophecy that something was sure to happen in a next couple of days. That's what Kumo shinobi thought and now that nothing happened they began to question the warning, pretending as if their superiors were panicking for nothing.

I was either in the restaurant, overhearing shinobi's talks, or walking near the borders of the village and trying not to be conspicuous about it. This morning I noticed that the number of guards went back to usual so I went to search for the Defence Captain instead. I decided to find him without prying out that information from a Kumo shinobi and actually take my time to do a proper search. Making too many threats could leave me in a risky position so for now on I needed to lay low.

Kumogakure was a pretty village but its shinobi were weird. I guess they were kind of like Iwa shinobi in a matter that they took everything seriously and didn't smile, but I never thought of Iwa shinobi as so…stern. Maybe because I grew up there so I didn't notice it. Kitsuchi looked like a rock and took after Onoki-sensei in a way that he rarely smiled, and his levelheadedness made everyone think he never jokes or praises anyone, but he sulked pretty bad that time he lost against me in wasabi eating challenge.

I guess if I ever meet a Kumo shinobi properly I would change my mind, but right now I liked more the village itself rather than its people. Particularly, Kumogakure's position was remarkable. It was located in a range of tall mountains and it took me a while to find the damn village in the first place. However, the mountain terrain was something I could navigate no problem, given I grew up in a similar looking village. Except Iwa was surrounded by a mountain range and Kumo was built among the mountains. The largest mountain had Raikage's office built into it, clouds hiding it for the majority of the day.

In the end I couldn't discern whether any of the shinobi posed as guards could be the Defence Captain. My second plan was to infiltrate their offices and find out who held that position so I could arrange a little meeting. With or without the Akatsuki making an appearance here, the fact that someone knew they became a giant threat all of a sudden was important. No such warning had been issued in three years since my first run-in with the Akatsuki, even though their existence was secretly known. All this meant that someone knew what Akatsuki's goal was, which, to my anger, I still hadn't been able to uncover.

Regardless of me being in Kumo for couple of weeks now I still haven't infiltrated their offices. That was something I've done in every village so far ever since I learned how to do it.

Yeah, I've sure come a long way in three years time. The whole thing began with Deidara getting drafted into the Akatsuki and me discovering my new jutsu. A variation of my Shadow jutsu that let me enter my shadow and exit it in a completely different location. It proved itself useful the very first time I used it, when it saved my life from Samehada wielding Akatsuki member. Back then I couldn't comprehend what happened, except that it wasn't a genjutsu and that I'm safe. The moment I left Land of Earth three years ago, I took my time to understand what it was.

I learned long ago that my body subconsciously alters the ratio of my chakra in favor of spiritual energy, or Yin release. That huge amount of Yin release was responsible for my employment of Shadow jutsu, and everything I could do with it was because I imagined it happen. The spiritual energy coincided with my imagination, just like Deidara told me many years ago. It was a simple principle, one I always seemed to forget. That time when I was running away I wished, no, I imagined I was in Akamira instead and not chased by someone. My Yin chakra responded to that and I turned my Shadow jutsu into a doorway between the forest I was in and the street of Akamira where I wanted to be. It was a passage from one physical location to another, and I chose where the exit was.

I was never one for naming jutsu but I called this one my Shadow Teleportation jutsu. I was oblivious to it but over time my shadow became ever-present underneath me, no matter what time of the day or night it was. That was supposed to be my first clue and through meditation I learned that every time I used my Shadow jutsu over the years, I poured a bit of my Yin chakra into it. Without doing that I wouldn't have been able to manipulate it as good as I could. However, I never paid any attention to the fact that none of that chakra came back to me once I was done using my shadow, but instead remained inside of it. Over the years a lot of my chakra accumulated inside my shadow. That chakra was slower and colder since it was outside my body, but it still responded to my wishes immediately. Such big reserve of chakra was what made my Shadow Teleportation possible in the first place.

The second clue was my shadow being able to swallow Deidara's bombs, but only those where chakra was mixed in the middle. My chakra was inside my body just like it was inside those figurines, so I could enter no problem. I only had to raise my hand in a Seal of Confrontation to trigger the jutsu. Yeah, Deidara wasn't the only one who could weave one-hand seals.

I still needed to employ my rat seal for my other jutsu, but teleporting by doing such a simple one-hand seal did wonders for my speed. The teleportation was faster on short range, like if I had to teleport quickly in an area of a couple of streets. If I wanted to teleport over greater distances the whole process lasted longer and took more of my chakra. On short range it wasted almost no chakra and was instantaneous. Of course, I still had to visualize exactly where I was going to be able to exit it properly.

It took me a couple of months to learn all this, and it involved a lot of meditation and experimenting. In order to study it more effectively I trained at night. For a while I even switched day and night, training only at night and sleeping by day. Once I grasped the full extent of it, I had one last test.

Noon. My old arch nemesis. Even though I could enter my shadow in order to teleport I could no longer choose where to teleport so easily. When there were shadows in a certain area I could choose to exit any of them, making myself enter and exit rapidly. But when only my shadow was present the whole thing wasn't so simple anymore. I had to use my shadow as both the entrance and the exit, and that took more than its share of chakra and certainly wasn't as fast as possible. That's why I avoided teleporting around that time of the day, and especially on any sort of terrain without shadows.

There was one more thing about that jutsu. Even though the teleportation was fast there was still a moment of darkness I had to endure. That moment could stretch for a whole minute if I used it for long distances. And the inside of that shadow was very cold. So cold I had to ditch my standard Iwa gear for something different.

Okay, I had to ditch that for a number of reasons, but this was one of them. Since now I moved predominantly at night, at least first year I was, I had to wear something else besides that flashy dark red. So I switched my old clothes for black knee-length pants and knee-high black sandals with reinforced shins, which now packed more of a kick. For the top I opted for a sleeveless black kimono-jacket with a gray sash wrapped around my hips. To top it all of were my fishnet gloves going above my elbows in order to conceal my burns, and over all of that I usually wore a black cloak that ended halfway up my thigh and hid two of my pouches, one on my waist and one at my lower back, and my headband. My crossed-out headband, that is, which I kept tied around my arm so it's not easily visible. I was traveling for the sole purpose of gaining info to track a certain organisation. I didn't need anyone to know I was Iwa's missing nin.

As for my hair, I didn't let it grow pass my shoulders and kept half of it tied up in a bun on top of my head.

Learning about my new jutsu took up most of my first year traveling. I did all of that training in Land of Fire, primarily because I wanted to get out of Land of Earth as soon as I could. I was training in woods, leaving exclusively to go eat something in villages nearby. I kept myself hidden and while that gave me enough time to focus on mastering my new jutsu, it also gave me time to think.

I had a lot of time to think, being by myself the entire time. It couldn't be helped. It was one of the consequences of my decision to track the Akatsuki.

After another stroll through Kumogakure I went to the Central Office. I knew where it was because it was marked both by lettering on the building and by Kumo shinobi frequently moving in and out of it. I passed next to the entrance, stealing a quick glance inside. After that it was easy to get in. I only had to visualize the interior and use my Shadow Teleportation to transfer inside.

I carefully explored the building until I found a room filled with shinobi's files and backup ID cards. Even though I was supposed to be looking for the picture of the Defence Captain, curiosity got the best of me and I instead searched for the list of their missing nin. Experience taught me that missing nin shouldn't be overlooked regarding Akatsuki's use of them. However, once I opened the document I found that presently Kumo didn't have a single missing nin. I didn't know whether that was because of their immense loyalty to the village or because its missing nin were…taken care of. Maybe Kumo's shinobi made sure none of its ninja who decided to ditch Kumogakure stay alive for much longer.

Maybe they really had no missing nin because they were so faithful to their village, but the idea of all of them being killed for defecting surprised me more than I thought it would. Maybe because I was a missing nin and Onoki-sensei could have just as easily sent a team to kill me off. Kumo shinobi were ruthless in a different way than Iwa shinobi and I suddenly felt so out of place.

I heard the door opening so I tucked the papers back in before making a seal and entering my shadow. Shock from having learned what kind of place Kumo really was made me think of the first time I saw the village, making me exit my shadow outside of its borders. I put my hand on my forehead, letting out a sigh. Great, I overreacted way too much. The mere thought of Akatsuki coming close to me for a change must have gotten to my head, and then I got disappointed. I should have expected it.

I looked at the white clouds above me, letting out another sigh and then walking away from the village. I was already this far, and I wouldn't achieve anything by staying a couple of more days in Kumo. If Akatsuki was really approaching this village, I'll meet them soon enough.

If not…well, maybe it's finally time to do something I was too afraid to do three years ago.

After I spent more than three months tracking Deidara only to witness him unwillingly drafted into Akatsuki I decided I won't be coming back to Iwa without him. I decided to proceed with my plan, regardless of how much time it will take for me to complete it.

At first I didn't know what to do. How to even approach this problem. How am I supposed to track an organisation I've never heard of before? I felt lost more than anything, because while I was searching for Deidara I at least knew where to go. I'll go to this village and ask if anyone's seen him and if not I'll keep on going. Tracking Akatsuki proved to be a thousand times harder than it was to track Deidara; they weren't bound to only one Nation and I couldn't go around and ask people if they've seen a giant white bird flying around.

Even though the end goal remained the same, the path I was on wasn't so clear to me anymore. Where do I go now to ask if anyone's seen the Akatsuki?

That's what I debated over, all those months I spent in the woods in order to train. The feeling was hard to shake so for a while I completely ignored my so-called mission and concentrated on comprehending my new jutsu. Near the end of my first year I finally came to my senses, telling myself I'm overthinking everything and therefore wasting precious time. I had to decide on my first destination, and without having a better idea I set my course to the hidden village the closest to me: Konohagakure.

The anxiety I felt from even thinking about going to Konoha now was just as strong as the anxiety and nervousness I felt two years ago, when I actually entered the village. Back then the village's vibe threw me off guard. Konoha was different than Iwa, it seemed much more friendly. There wasn't just rock everywhere and both the vegetation and various cats roaming the village made it seem so warm. Chirps of birds, children playing, the smiling people…all that made me uncomfortable because it was unfamiliar.

Okay, maybe that had something to do with me spending many months by myself in the woods. I forgot things like these were normal and I was the one who needed to shake out of the solitude and the quiet I dwelled in.

The main reason for me feeling anxious back then was the knowledge of Konoha being the native village of my mother. I was part of the Nara clan because of her blood, and therefore I harbored some connection to Konoha as well. They were the only reason why I had decided to go there in the first place, but once there I couldn't make myself ask anyone where the Nara compound was. I wanted to find it by myself but the more I wandered up and down, the more I thought how revealing myself to them could be a giant mistake. They might as well kill me for belonging to another village while employing their jutsu.

I got cold feet and left the village the same day. The thought of me meeting the Nara clan didn't fade away from my mind, more like it moved to the back of my brain and waited for me to collect enough resolve to go through with it. Even now, two years since that unsuccessful visit to Konoha, I still didn't feel ready to do it. But upon leaving Kumogakure I decided to try once more, and set my course to Konoha. I didn't know where else to go, because I've been almost everywhere, nor did I have a wish to visit any specific place. Maybe my next breakthrough in searching for Akatsuki happens in Konoha.

Seriously, Deidara…how good at hiding can you get?

* * *

 **Meanwhile with the Akatsuki**

The nine Akatsuki members stood on the fingers of the Gedo statue, fusing their chakra and letting the statue use it in order to extract the tailed-beast from its human host. Deidara stood on the index finger of the statue's right hand, his hand in a seal. He was tired. Fighting the Kazekage didn't tire him, but getting his arm crushed by his sand and then forced to stand here for three nights and almost three days infusing chakra? Yeah, that was the tiring part.

The pain faded eventually, or more like he got used to it, but he knew that if any sort of fight breaks out he'll have a disadvantage. Molding chakra into the clay with only one hand won't help his speed in any way. Before even thinking about going after the Kyuubi he has to get his hand fixed first.

If someone else doesn't go after Kyuubi before he does. It wouldn't surprise him if Leader decides to send Itachi and Kisame to take care of it. Or even the Zombie Combo. Though maybe he shouldn't call them that, if he wants Kakuzu to sew his arm back.

The body of the unconscious Kazekage floated in front of the statue's mouth, tailed-beast chakra exiting through its eyes and mouth. The bruises and wounds from Deidara's explosives were still visible on his body and the blond artist thought how the young Kazekage put up a good fight. He didn't seem older than Deidara was, and no matter what Sasori said, taking him down without killing him was rather tricky. Shame that the extracting of the tailed-beast meant he was about to die any second now. Their rematch would have been a blast.

The silence was broken when Zetsu spoke, his clone on the surface providing him with information.

"I commend you, Sasori. You truly are a master of infiltration. It took them almost three days to even send a team after you." He chuckled.

"Hmph."

Deidara rolled his eyes. Here he acts all high and mighty even though he wasn't the one who subdued Kazekage in the end. They arrived in Land of Rivers the very next day, day earlier than planned, only because of his flying bird. If they'd walked all the way here, granting Sasori's puppet shell moved slowly, they would have lost precious time.

"Though, it seems they found a way to track us." Zetsu added.

"How?" Leader asked.

"Sasori left his smell behind." Deidara snickered.

"Impossible." Serves him right.

"Ha ha, it seems his infiltration was shitty after all." Hidan yelled from his side of the room.

"You shut your mouth, Hidan." Sasori growled.

"Or what, you'll turn me into one of your creepy ass puppets? Pass!" Hidan stood on the left index finger, right next to Sasori, and Deidara knew the Jashinist would have been stabbed by Sasori's tail had he been standing here in person.

"I don't need a useless puppet in my arsenal."

"Oi, asshole-"

"Enough! The sealing of the Ichibi is almost complete. Our pursuers can't make it here on time to interrupt it. If you two wish to wait for them to fight them, you are free to do so. Otherwise, leave this place before they find you." Leader said.

Waiting half a day to fight a bunch of kids didn't seem very appealing. If they had been any closer to their location however, he might have chosen to stay and taunt them.

In another hour or so, the sealing was complete. The last of the Ichibi's chakra exited the Kazekage and its lifeless body fell on the ground. Deidara breathed a sigh of relief, feeling himself stiff from the whole ordeal.

"What do we do with the body?" Sasori asked.

"Whatever you want." Leader was brief, his astral projection disappearing as soon as he finished. Konan, Kisame, and Itachi followed after him.

"Oi, Kakuzu, where are you two right now?" He asked before the masked man could leave the place.

"What is it to you, Dei-chan?" Hidan butted in with a mocking voice and Deidara gritted his teeth.

"Once you get hit by my art you'll realize that nothing is eternal, you the least, un!"

"You really need to stop spouting nonsense like that, Deidara." He tried not to roll his eyes at Sasori's remark.

"We're near the border of the Land of Frost." Kakuzu answered, calm as ever.

Deidara raised his eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"Land of Lightning. We need to capture a two-tailed chick that's living there." Hidan added.

"I'll head towards you now, un. I need a favor."

"Make sure to bring a shitload of cash if you need a favor from this grabby-hands here."

"I'll sew your mouth shut for free." Kakuzu grumbled.

"Oh bite me."

"One day my schedule will be free and I'll take my time to kill you properly." Kakuzu disconnected and Hidan's projection soon disappeared, but not before Sasori and Deidara heard him say; "I wish you could, Kakuzu-chan."

"You wanna catch a ride, Master Sasori?" Deidara jumped down as the statue vanished.

"I have no reason to travel that far only to be met with Hidan's obnoxious face. I have to check why the sedative didn't work on the jinchuuriki."

"Fine, do whatever you want. I need to get my hand back in function, un." He went towards the exit of the cave.

"Oi, Deidara!" He stopped, glancing behind himself.

"Stop being so afraid of your own shadow, brat." Deidara's eyes widened. "I can see you're not conscious about it but it's really going on my nerves."

Deidara turned away from the puppet master, trying not to shake his head at the observation.

"See you later, Sasori my man."

"Sure, brat."

* * *

 **Sayomi's jutsu is actually a kind of space-time ninjutsu, but instead of using kunai like in a Flying Raijin, she uses shadows. The way her shadow is filled with her chakra which makes it faster and more powerful than regular shadows is just the same as Gaara's special sand. Her jutsu is easier to utilize than Flying Raijin since she doesn't have to throw kunai around, but it can be rendered nearly useless if the terrain and/or weather is unfavorable. So, it could be tricky to use it.**

 ** **By the way, I want to know if lines between past and present events were discernible (in Sayomi's part of the story), because I'll be following her movements presently while gradually exploring what happened to her in these three years. I read this a hundred times so I have no problem knowing when she's talking about Kumo and when she's talking about everything that happened before she came to Kumo. But it may not be the same for you. Next few chapters will be written in the same manner so if you have problems following it just say so and I'll add a line or a warning or smth. I just can't say if its obvious or not anymore, I'm too biased at this point.****

 **Also, I know I casually avoided Deidara's fight with Kakashi, Naruto and Guy, which is something I didn't want to do but was forced to for the sake of the plot. In this version I also could have saved Sasori from getting killed but I didn't know what to do with him if he survives, while I do know what to do with him if he dies so...sorry Sasori.**

 **And that description of Sayomi's clothes gave me nightmares but I forced myself to do it because I'll never get good at it if I continue to avoid it. It was easier since I had a picture as a reference point but my god as if I'm in 2012 where every fic started with an elaborate description of all the clothes main characters wore (I am guilty of this crime).**

 **And here I go blabbing again. Which is funny because I always forget to say something in my AN and realize it only later...**

 **Thanks to those who reviewed, and please keep doing so - I like to hear what you found interesting in the story, it really helps me improve.  
**

 **Thank you for reading. :)**


	23. Part 2, Chapter 3

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 3**

Deidara was sitting on a large rock in the middle of a clearing, his Akatsuki cloak discarded behind him as he kept clenching and unclenching his left fist. Kakuzu used his jutsu to sew his crushed arm back but it was weird to think that his hand was okay without any use of a medical ninjutsu. Yet it seemed that it was.

Kakuzu stood next to him, looking at the end product of his jutsu, while Hidan kept walking around Deidara's clay bird, observing it and occasionally poking it with his finger.

"The nerves and muscles have been instantly reattached so it won't rot." Kakuzu said as Deidara stretched his arm further, but the thread didn't budge in the slightest. He opened his palm and the mouth licked its lips, thrusting its tongue out. Everything functioned as it should be.

"You know, the last time I was in these woods was right before I was drafted in the Akatsuki. I ran into the Forest Phantom."

Kakuzu glanced at Hidan, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The mouth on Deidara's hand spit out a bit of leftover sand.

"I came across this weird chick as I was walking, so I asked her if she wants to join the Way of Jashin. She didn't answer so I was like 'fine you deaf bitch, I'll sacrifice you then' and ran towards her. She jumped and vanished into thin air."

Deidara and Kakuzu stared at the silver haired man, Kakuzu seemingly unimpressed by his story while Deidara had a single eyebrow raised.

"What's that have to do with anything, un?"

"A Forest Phantom, I'm telling ya." Deidara made a face, turning his back to Hidan again. Kakuzu then pointed at his fixed arm.

"That'll be a million ryo." Deidara frowned, looking at the man.

"Seriously?"

"He's never joking when it comes to money." Hidan commented.

"I don't have that kind of money on myself, un."

"I'll wait, but I won't forget it."

"Oi, Deidara." Zetsu's voice came from the tree on their right and the three shinobi turned to look at him. "You shouldn't have been so hasty and left Sasori all by himself."

"What, don't tell me the puppet freak got owned?" Hidan raised his eyebrow.

"By his grandmother and a kunoichi of the Leaf." Hidan burst out laughing and corner of Deidara's lips turned into a smile. Good going, Master Sasori. After all that preaching how art is eternal you succumb to the inevitable.

Though, it was suspicious that he got killed as easily as that since Master Sasori was more powerful than him. Even now he could hear his stubborn insistence that art is eternal, regardless of the many times he told him how wrong he was. He respected him as an artist of course, even his crazy wish to one day become just as long lasting as those deadly puppets he commanded - which he loved to call his art.

Sasori was a good partner, yet the irony of his demise was hard to miss.

"Kyuubi's jinchuuriki was also present there." Deidara's eyes widened.

"What?"

"He and Copycat Kakashi scavenged the area looking for Sasori's partner but returned empty handed." He gritted his teeth.

Shit, if he had only stayed for a while longer he could have dealt with the Kyuubi himself. Now who knows when he'll get another chance at it.

"We found you a new partner. He'll help you with your next assignment."

"I don't need another partner, un." He was still angry about letting the Kyuubi slip through his fingers.

"Leader's orders." The black half of Zetsu spoke. "He's also asking what's taking you two so long to take care of the Niibi. You still didn't cross into Land of Lightning." He turned the topic to Kakuzu and Hidan.

"It's because Hidan's been reminiscing." Kakuzu glared at Hidan.

"No, it's because we lost a shitload of time on extracting the Ichibi and then Dei-chan came here crying for help so we became medic nin for no good fucking reason!"

"Hidan, even the Buddha loses patience when insulted a third time. Call me Dei-chan one more time and I'll blast you to hell, un." Deidara said, giving him a look behind his shoulder.

"Oh and I wasn't remi-reminis-" He struggled with the word, twirling the scythe in between his fingers.

"Reminiscing." Kakuzu said, not sparing a look to the Jashinist.

"Whatever the fuck that is!" Hidan pointed his scythe at Kakuzu. "I only said the last time I was here I ran into this really weird chick and I'm convinced she was a phantom or a ghost of some kind."

"I can't take his Jashin gibberish anymore." Kakuzu grumbled.

"That doesn't have anything to do with Jashin!" Hidan kept waving his scythe around and Deidara thought how, even though Sasori was difficult and sometimes threatened to kill him, he at least wasn't anywhere near this idiot here.

"If I had a ryo for every time you said something stupid-"

"Who are you calling stupid, bitch?" Kakuzu moved his arm, gray tendrils exiting his sleeve and charging at his partner. Hidan stopped them with his scythe, gritting his teeth at Kakuzu.

"Oi, Kakuzu-chan, what do you think you're doing?"

"Shut up already, Hidan." He stopped attacking the Jashinist who in response gave a loud "Hmph!" as he placed the scythe on his back.

"I like him much better this way, un." Deidara smirked at Hidan, making his eyes narrow.

"It doesn't last long, unfortunately." Kakuzu said and Hidan tightened his fist, once again losing his cool. "Oi, you dickheads-"

"Where is that new partner of mine?" Deidara turned to Zetsu, ignoring Hidan's outburst. "In our hideout in Land of Fire." He put his cloak on, jumping on the clay bird.

"Don't forget about my money." Kakuzu was so kind to remind him again.

"Yeah yeah, I'll get you your money, un." Deidara waved at the two, taking off with his clay bird.

* * *

 **Sayomi's POV**

 **Current location: Yugakure**

Land of Frost. A while ago I decided to visit both Yugakure and Land of Frost before going to Kumogakure. Yugakure I loved; whole town full of hot springs, nice food, and almost no shinobi. But the Land of Frost? No, I didn't like it.

At first it was fun. I saw snow in Iwagakure only a couple of times in fifteen years I've lived there. Our winters were freezing cold and without snow for the most part. Here everything was covered in snow, and that pretty scenery stretched for miles. The woods which I walked through were quiet and the only sound was the squeaking of my feet as I made my way through fresh snow. I loved it for a while. But after a couple of days the cold became annoying and the sight of silent snowfall wasn't so enchanting anymore. I was done with the whole place when the wind picked up and I had to walk with snowflakes constantly hitting my face. I just wanted to leave the Nation already and was forever thankful I wasn't its resident.

Okay I wasn't a resident of any Nation right now, but whatever.

I blitzed through it this time around, relying on my jutsu to speed up the whole process. Snow hitting you in the face and walking about with wet hair was something that didn't happen when I used my Shadow Teleportation.

Yugakure was a well deserved prize after the trip through Land of Frost. There were no shinobi in it regardless of it being a hidden village, which meant I could relax in peace with the rest of the tourists.

I didn't really need to stay in Yugakure for more than a day but I was thinking about prolonging that stay because I got anxious, again. Konoha was insanely close, one of the roads from Yugakure lead straight to it, but I decided to enjoy myself a while longer. Who knows what will happen to me once I return to Konoha. They might not even help me with my search but instead kill me or throw me in jail. Any major clue about Deidara's whereabouts certainly wasn't in Konoha. At least I hoped it wasn't.

I was sitting in a restaurant, sipping my tea and reading the book I always carried around. That very book helped me so much throughout the years, and was second only to my Shadow Teleportation jutsu. I picked it up during my stay in Kirigakure.

Two years ago, after I went to Konoha only to chicken out majestically, I debated where to go next before settling on visiting Land of Water. There was no grand reason for me going there, it was solely because I wanted to see the ocean.

I don't think I've ever breathed such a heavy sigh of relief than when I first saw the ocean. I don't know why but that vast body of water stretching everywhere I looked was so calming. Dark blue color of the ocean meeting with the light blue sky, the waves clashing ashore, the smell of water mixing with the fresh air and salt; all of that had a similar effect on me like my meditation. It cleared my head and I made my way from one island to the next, before finally going to Kirigakure.

I wasn't thrilled to be going there, exactly. I knew the village's history from Onoki-sensei's scrolls and I had a feeling me entering it was very risky. Kirigakure or the Village of the Bloody Mist. They didn't have a prisoner exchange policy, and they mercilessly hunted all their missing nin. If I get captured, they will torture me to death. Yeah, seemed like a real tourist spot.

However, the village wasn't what I thought it will be. I expected guards everywhere, people walking around in fear, but I found the place very busy. Both the people and the shinobi moved around with focus, seemingly engrossed in whatever their mission was. No one batted an eye at me, even though I stood out. All that confused me and after lingering around in a couple of restaurants I learned they were all busy undoing the wrongdoings of the past Mizukage, the one who turned it into a Bloody Mist Village. They all seemed hopeful about the change, and the one responsible for it was their Fifth Mizukage.

I actually did a double-take the first time I saw her. I knew Fifth Hokage was a woman called Tsunade, but I didn't see her, and there wasn't a female kage in Iwa's history. This woman was tall and very pretty, with insanely long brown hair. She was young yet she wore the title of Fifth Mizukage with such grace. Being the Fifth Mizukage also meant she was no joke.

Her taking steps to restructure the village served me well, as I was able to find out they had an organisation called Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. They were the strongest blade-wielding shinobi of their generation, and their name was derived from the very swords they employed. Kirigakure was very proud of it, as they should, since the swords were so powerful that the seven of them stood directly behind Mizukage in terms of strength.

As soon as I heard 'powerful swords' I thought about that guy and his Samehada that could sniff me out. My hunch turned correct, even though it took me some time to acquire any info on the members and their respectful swords. Those who weren't dead were dubbed as missing nin and Kirigakure only had one sword left, meaning the six remaining swords could be literally anywhere. The list confirmed Samehada was one of the swords, and was also called Sharks Skin or Greatsword; it was the most powerful of the swords because it was a living weapon and had the power to eat chakra. It was sentient, which I knew first-hand. What other sword could be able to sniff me out and growl on its own?

The one wielding it was called Fuguki Saikazan but he was listed as deceased. After some digging I found out he was killed by Kisame Hoshigaki who took the sword from him and subsequently left the village and was now listed as a missing nin.

Me acquiring all that information was no easy task and even though the village was in a slight disarray I definitely wouldn't have been able to find out so much had not for my Shadow Teleportation jutsu. It saved me from being seen more than once and was virtually untraceable.

One more thing I learned during my time in Kirigakure was that the best place to overhear info and gossips was in restaurants. Especially in the evening when everyone had too much to drink. It was easy to find such a place but it was rather difficult to not be suspicious. After a while even the drunkest person would notice me sitting there with only a cup of tea and ears perked. I needed to blend in better and while browsing through shops I came across a bunch of books on clearance. That's when an idea popped up in my brain; if I pretend to read no one will bat an eye and I certainly won't seem suspicious.

I didn't really pay attention to the topic of the book I was buying. I saw it was the cheapest so I purchased it. It only mattered to me that I stop being suspicious.

The trick worked beautifully. It was a beloved method of mine and I used it to get my hands on any bit of info I deemed relevant. Of course, rarely did I learn the whole story from drunken shinobi, but having a vague idea of what to search for meant I didn't place myself in risk by wasting a lot of time combing through mountains of scrolls and documents in secret libraries and archives.

While I was in Kirigakure I didn't bother reading the book, I only needed it to make myself seem normal. I read the book once I left Kirigakure and could drop my guard. The story wasn't half-bad but the protagonist had a weird name.

Identifying Kisame Hoshigaki and his sword Samehada as one of the members of the Akatsuki was more than I could have asked for. Finding him listed as a missing nin also made me realize I'll get farther with my search if I consider every single missing nin as a possible member of the Akatsuki. And with that in mind I decided on my second destination.

Sunagakure.

Before I set my course to Land of Wind I bid goodbye to Kirigakure, feeling grateful for all the lessons I acquired in the Village of the Bloody Mist. I then hopped on a boat back to Land of Fire.

In my first year of traveling, and for the most of my time in Kirigakure, I overused my Shadow Teleportation. Not that I ever got chakra exhaustion from it, but I did get incredibly lazy. I had a very handy jutsu at my disposal, I admit. So to counter that I made myself use it only when I was inside a hidden village. There I needed to be inconspicuous, on high alert, and on a quest for information I could only get by eavesdropping, breaking into archives, and doing some light interrogation. For someone to find out I was doing all these things could mean my death.

I did sometimes use it for traveling, if the weather was especially bad for example. But besides that, when I wasn't in a hidden village I only used my Shadow Teleportation if I was outright attacked.

That happened only two times so far. First time was in Land of Fire, as I made my way to the border of Land of Wind. I took my cloak off because it was too hot to bear and my black clothing didn't help that in any way. But a Konoha shinobi crossed my path later in the day. He definitely wasn't the first or the last shinobi to pass me on the road, however, while everyone usually ignored me he didn't and it was because he noticed my crossed out Iwagakure headband around my arm. I didn't want to fight at first. I wanted to get away, but seeing it was so sunny I had no other choice but to engage him in battle and take him out. Before I disposed of his body with my shadow I searched him, and found in his possession a Bingo Book.

I flipped through, wanting to see if Deidara and me were in it, when I noticed a familiar looking face. The black-haired man who caught Deidara in a genjutsu and made him join the Akatsuki in the first place – Itachi Uchiha.

Of course it was an Uchiha, I was so dumb! Kisame mentioned Sharingan that day but I completely forgot about it. Itachi was listed as an S-class missing nin, and it only strengthened my idea of checking every list of missing nin I could find.

So regardless of me getting attacked I found out something useful. Second time I was attacked was near Yugakure, a whole year later. I was walking through the woods, deep in my thought, when a silver-haired man in a black jacket stopped me. He was holding a three bladed scythe in his hand and he got in my way only to ask me about joining his Way of Jashin, whatever the hell that was. I stopped and raised my eyebrow at him, noticing his headband bore Yugakure's symbol. He didn't give me a chance to say anything though, impatiently proclaiming me deaf and saying he'll sacrifice me.

The sacrifice thing confused me so I stayed put as he charged at me, gripping his scythe. I was torn between fighting him and fleeing the scene, but in the end I chose to flee. He had this crazy look in his eyes and I felt too tired to be bothered. I jumped up to the treetop and there entered my shadow. I teleported a kilometer back where I came from, which was unnerving but couldn't be helped.

If the world was filled with crazy people roaming up and about, like that guy, I too was one of them. Everything about my life was crazy. Here I am in Yugakure, for the second time already, my destination being Konoha yet again, with a mission to bring a particular boy back to Iwa.

Hell he wasn't even a boy anymore. His nineteenth birthday was just recently. My own nineteenth birthday was any day now, though I didn't think there was any point in birthdays if you had no one to celebrate it with.

As for my crazy mission,…I wasn't too disheartened about it, usually. I knew I'd find him sooner or later, and by searching for him I at least had a goal. Had I stayed in Iwagakure I wouldn't have a goal, or something to look forward to since there was no way he'd come back. I saw many memorable sights and ate a lot of delicious food, and because of that I didn't think of my search as tiring or boring. Sure, all of that would have been better shared, but that certainly wasn't my fault.

"Finally some good news!" A man yelled, sitting a couple of tables away from me. His raised voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I furrowed my brows at him. He was reading a scroll, a nicely dressed woman sitting opposite of him.

"I almost had to stop doing business with Sunagakure…" He shook his head.

"Dear, you promised you'll forget about your work for the duration of our vacation." The woman replied, uninterested.

"Sachiko, we're on this vacation only because I earned it. Sunagakure being cut off from the world caused me more loss than gain. But all is alright now."

"The passage was cleared?" The woman asked and he nodded.

"After almost a week. They sure took their time to clear it out."

"Why didn't they ask the Kazekage to help them clear it out?" She played with her bracelets.

"Kazekage went missing, Sachiko. I told you that a few days ago."

My eyes widened. Kazekage went missing? What?

"That must have been terrible for the village."

"He can go wherever he wants for all I care, as long as the entrance to the village isn't sealed shut."

"Shun!" The woman looked around frantically. "You cannot say such things."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. The entrance has been cleared. I sure hope the sun and the wind didn't damage my goods too much."

I threw a couple of coins on the table, for the tea, leaving Yugakure in haste.

This was unusual. Kazekage going missing and the entrance to Suna cut off. Did he leave the village on his own or did someone take him? Even if he left on his own, why would the entrance be sealed shut?

Nothing pointed to the Akatsuki being the one behind it but I knew of one Akatsuki member with ties to Suna, so I decided to check it out with my own eyes. It was a massive stretch, but so was everything at this point.

Deidara, you better not be behind this.

* * *

 **Let's start a new segment called** **'songs(lyrics really) that describe Sayomi's life', I'll go first:** "Ain't no mountain high enough/ain't no valley low enough/ain't no river wide enough/to keep me from getting to you baby." **(It's a really good song.)**

 **I just had to include Hidan in his black jacket from that filler episode because I laughed my ass off at him. Hidan's very dear to my heart, as is Kakuzu.**

 **Thank you for reading and don't forget to review :) - relatable songs/lyrics especially!**


	24. Part 2, Chapter 4

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Sayomi's POV**

 **Current location: on way to Sunagakure**

I was making my way to Sunagakure only because of the assumptions I made overhearing a bickering couple in Yugakure. That was certainly the poorest info I'd ever gotten, but going to Sunagakure to check the whole thing out meant I could postpone my visit to Konoha. Even wasting time in Suna was better than the uncertainty Konoha posed to my well-being.

I took a couple of pit stops on my way there, learning that the Kazekage really was missing and that Suna's shinobi tried their hardest not to let that info reach the villagers. But once the villagers saw the entrance crumbled down, they demanded for the Kazekage to clear it out. That's when they found out Kazekage was gone without a valid explanation why. Since shinobi's effort to keep that info hidden failed, they tried to at least keep it inside the village, in case of an attack. Their actions proved futile once again, since all the merchants in Suna already sent their messenger birds to delay the shipments.

A lot of restaurants in Land of Fire were filled with agitated merchants, their carriages with goods stopped half-way to Suna. They got the word that the entrance is back in function but they were still angry for wasting time waiting for the entrance to be cleared. However, no one could tell me the reason behind Kazekage's mysterious disappearance. It didn't surprise me that ordinary folk don't know the answer to such a question, but Suna shinobi should know, or at least have a sound idea why.

I had a minor dislike for Land of Frost but only because snow gets to your nerves after a couple of days. Land of Wind? I hated that place.

Sand everywhere you looked, no vegetation, no mountains, no nothing. The only shadow in the whole damn desert was my own feeble shadow underneath my feet. It was the most ungrateful terrain especially when it came to my jutsu, and no other Nation could rival it. It was as if noon lasted for twelve hours straight. Another thing was the sun and the heat, amplified by my black clothes. Then it was the wind and the sand getting into your eyes.

I could go on and on about all the things I hated regarding the desert, but I tried not to whine too much about it. I dreaded stepping in there again and even me recalling that first trip there left me feeling annoyed. But I had to cross it in order to get to Suna, there was just no other way. I couldn't even teleport that far.

The first time I went there was a year and so ago, after I had a run in with a Konoha shinobi so I refused to take my cloak off even in the desert, despite it being a million degrees. All my frustrations about the desert were only present because I was inexperienced and didn't have anyone with me to advise me how to travel through that terrain. After two days of suffering I came up with a plan to travel only at night. I could use my Shadow Teleportation during the night and didn't have to deal with the unbearable heat. Wind was a constant so I started to ignore it completely since I couldn't get rid of it. The night plan worked and in the end that's how I managed to reach Sunagakure.

I hated the Land of Wind's terrain, but I liked Sunagakure. It had the spiciest food I've ever tried, and spicy food always made me think of Iwa. Kirigakure had very good seafood but nothing that challenged my appetite. Suna was a champion in spicy food, and solely because of that had I stayed as long as I did.

During my time there I eventually made my way to their offices, searching for their list of missing nin. Many on the list were now deceased and were filed as such, but two names hadn't been crossed out; Mukade and Sasori.

There were no pictures and two possible names meant nothing to me. They could be in the Akatsuki, but at the same time they could have no connections to it. I continued to sift through documents, just for the sake of getting to know what kind of things Suna had at its disposal, eventually stumbling upon a Puppet Brigade.

The puppet jutsu was native to Suna, with a certain amount of shinobi capable of performing it. They participated in Third Great Ninja War, winning many battles for Suna's sake. However, despite the massive success they acclaimed in the last ninja war, the number of brigade's members was declining ever since Second Great Ninja War. That number dropped almost completely after the Third Great Ninja War, and the last one listed as its member was a jonin named Kankuro. Little bit above him, signifying he was an older member, was Sasori's name.

A missing nin who's a member of the Puppet Brigade?

The third Akatsuki member who came after Deidara was the strangest one out of the bunch. He was short with a mask across his face, the shape of his body reminding me of an insect. He was strange to say the least, and I thought about his appearance many times, trying to remember any detail that could help me identify him, but I was positive he didn't have a shinobi headband on him.

Could it be that he was a puppet? Then this Sasori guy would be a perfect match.

That thought required additional research, so the next day I went to search for a puppet master who could show me how these puppets tend to look like. Maybe I had a completely wrong idea, but it didn't hurt to try. If there was one thing I didn't worry about, it was time.

It took me a while to find the right place. Explosion Unit in Iwa had their own area in the outskirts of the village, so I assumed something similar could be the case with the Puppet Brigade. I went around the village many times without finding anything like it. I guess their numbers declined so much they were moved to a smaller place.

That meant I had to step up my infiltration game and make my way to all the office's and buildings belonging to shinobi. It seemed like a lot of work and it was actually, but I decided to do it properly and prolong my time in Suna for the sake of enjoying some more in their food.

Two weeks later I found it. It was one floor in building I thought was just a storage for shinobi equipment. I guess puppets were a type of equipment but that didn't cross my mind and I sincerely thought the whole building was just storage filled with weapons and such. I checked it only because it was the last place I could think of. And there it was, on the last floor, spanning across two rooms; the entirety of the Puppet Brigade.

One of the rooms was probably just a meeting room for the members, while the bigger room turned out to be a workshop as well as a storage for all the various puppets.

They kinda freaked me out. I entered the building in the early evening, when I made sure the entire place was deserted. Now that silence and half-dark made the whole thing feel ominous.

I first took a good look at the half-assembled puppet on the working desk and the assortment of tools hanging from the wall above it. Left of the desk was a shelf filled with more parts, some of them simple like screws and joints, and some of them detachable arms and legs with blades on them.

The puppet on the desk was wooden, with long jointed arms and its three eyes making it even creepier. The chest and the mouth compartment were left open and I noticed different kinds of tubes and mechanisms inside. It looked very complex lying in such a state. The ones in the side room looked like the same type of creepy. Puppets with scary faces hanging in neat rows, all of them having unknown weapons inside of them, all of them looking as if they'll come alive any second now.

I closed the doors of the side room, going back to the puppet strewn on the desk. A blueprint for the puppet's weapons was nearby, with instructions how to properly clean the puppet and then assemble it back. The head of the puppet was detached from the body so I picked it up, holding the head a bit away from myself in case something shoots out of it. I noticed a sticker on the lower part of the neck, with an image of a red scorpion. I pursed my lips and looked at the puppet's head in my hands, conjuring up an image of the…thing I saw that day, the third Akatsuki member who came for Deidara.

It wasn't the same of course, but the more I looked at it, the more I seemed to notice the details they shared and similarities that may have been just in my head. Maybe I kept looking at it so long because I wanted to validate the feeling in my gut that was telling me those two were a match. I stopped thinking about all the things that could confirm my theory, and instead switched to trying to disprove it. It was harder to disprove the whole idea that the third member was a puppet, because I couldn't claim him a human, and the puppet scenario seemed to explain it all.

Why was I so set on discovering the identities of the Akatsuki members? Because there was nothing else I could focus on regarding the organisation in question. I didn't know what their end goal was, and their existence being a secret only hindered my research. There were people who knew about it, some who even paid for their services, a couple of shinobi who reported sightings of them as well, but overall the Akatsuki was a thing of mystery for everyone who came in contact with it. I myself never crossed paths with a single member of the organisation. I hadn't even seen their cloaks since that day when they came for Deidara. Yes, they were active. Yes, I kept going all over the continent in search for them, with no luck whatsoever. The secrecy shrouding the organisation's existence was the reason why I kept stalling my research for the entire first year. Even when I finally decided to visit Kirigakure was without any hope that going there will help me in my search for the Akatsuki.

A couple of times I was very close. I felt it. I came across information and places that I knew no one else considered before me. I had to start from somewhere though, and I thought uncovering its members was my best bet.

Deidara, Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki.

My stay in Suna provided me with the fourth name; Sasori. Unlike the absolute proof I had for Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, this was more of a hunch. I however treated the info with utmost certainty that the fourth member had to be Sasori, or as I later found out; Sasori of the Red Sand.

But back to me exploring the puppet. As I was nestling the head in my hands, brainstorming real hard and comparing the images of the two puppets, someone entered the room. Of course people would walk into the room while I was secretly in it, it happened a lot of times before. But never had anyone seen me. I always managed to enter my shadow and get out of the room before they could even confirm my existence. This time I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to hear footsteps coming closer. Additional factor was that the doors were directly behind me, so as soon as that person entered they saw me standing by the desk.

Fortunately for me, the lights in the room were off and the dim light from the hallway couldn't provide much detail about me, my black clothing once again working in my favour. I snapped back to earth once the doors swung open and a female voice said: "Oi, Kankuro!"

I froze, my eyes widening and my hands gripping the puppet's head.

"Who are you?" I saw the girl's shadow on the wall, blurry shapes of pigtails coming from her head. Her shadow on the wall let go of the doorknob and I let go of the puppet's head, diving behind the shelf on my left. She moved after me but I already made a seal and disappeared from that room. I left the village the very same night because I didn't want to risk getting recognized on the street.

In one village outside of Suna I discovered that Sasori was a fearsome puppet master, Suna's top notch shinobi and an invaluable fighter. He gained recognition during the Third Great Ninja War, when the amount of blood he spilled over the sand earned him the title Sasori of the Red Sand. No one's seen him since he left the village after the war had ended, though it was important to notice that no one could pronounce him dead either. He couldn't have died from old age yet so it worked in the favour of my hunch to think he was still alive out there somewhere, and a possible Akatsuki member.

Once I left Suna I explored Land of Rivers and Land of Fire, but once again avoiding Konoha entirely. I've also been in Amegakure although I literally crossed the city in one night and didn't return. I didn't like the feel of rain and the people were very weird, fearful and highly suspicious of everyone. I went to Kusagakure next, then Takiagakure; there I found another set of missing nin but couldn't place anyone from the list as a member of the Akatsuki since I hadn't seen its other members. I thought about going to Otogakure but after learning in Land of Fire who Orochimaru was, I skipped that place and went to Yugakure. Upon leaving Yugakure and crossing Land of Frost I found myself in the last hidden village I visited: Kumogakure. That's when I noticed I've been wandering up and about for three years now.

There were only two villages I didn't visit at all: Ishiagakure and Otogakure. Otogakure because of Orochimaru and Ishiagakure because I promised myself not to approach Land of Earth until I find Deidara, and to not come close to Iwagakure especially. Ishiagakure reminded me too much of both, so I ignored its existence. That's the only reason why Ishiagakure and Otogakure's offices hadn't been infiltrated by me, nor Amegakure's, since I had a nasty feeling about the place, and lastly…Konoha's. But that was because I bailed out of Konoha years ago, and still refused to go anywhere near it.

Now that I was going to Suna for the second time it actually hit me how long has it been since my first visit and uncovering the identity of the fourth member. I've traveled a lot in three years time, I've seen a lot, I've learned a lot. I didn't progress in my search for Deidara as much as I wanted to though. I didn't hear anything about him, talk about catching a glimpse of him anywhere. Not as much as a sighting. Sure, people sometimes remembered seeing a figure wearing a black cloak with a red cloud pattern, but not anything else. He, as well as the Akatsuki, continued to evade me. I was the one with the ultimate evasion jutsu, able to sneak about nearly anywhere, yet the Akatsuki kept sneaking around me and I was none the wiser. It was frustrating, sure, but I had much more knowledge about it than the average shinobi. At least that's what I thought.

I should have stayed in Kumogakure and learned the identity of the one who warned about the Akatsuki becoming a threat. Who knows if Suna proves to be a good idea.

It was too late to turn back now. I've been traveling for ten days now, moving through Land of Fire with haste. I didn't even take a detour to the shore to steal a glance at the ocean, which was something I always did. Me traveling so fast from the other side of the continent was possible only because of my Shadow Teleportation, that I tried not to overuse, and huge amount of stamina I acquired during the years. I also kept thinking how I'll feast on Suna's food the moment I step in the village, and that served as a good motivation.

As I crossed to the Land of Rivers, rainfall began. The sky, now covered with dense gray clouds, didn't make me hopeful about it stopping any time soon. I debated about teleporting in order to avoid the most of it, but in the end I would only waste my chakra and not get further away from the rain. So I continued to walk, getting soaked to the bone. The smell of wet dirt mixed with a sickly smell of flowers littered on the ground and I thought how different summer was here than it was in Iwa.

Walking alone through such heavy rainfall made me feel more alone than usual. Maybe that's why I left Amegakure as fast as I could.

Deidara…I hope you're fine, wherever you may be.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, with the Akatsuki**

Deidara had flown to where Kakuzu and Hidan were only because he wanted to fix his arm as soon as possible. After Kakuzu successfully reattached it, he took off again, only to reprimand himself for traveling so carelessly. If anyone saw that same bird twice he'd get tailed and he didn't want to be responsible for leading enemy shinobi to an Akatsuki hideout. That's why he took his time and walked back to their hideout near the border of Land of Fire and Land of Water.

It was the hideout they used most often, but he himself preferred the one in Takiagakure. It was better situated for trying out new jutsu than this one. Konoha shinobi seemed to be sprouting out of every weed, much like Zetsu, so the unspoken rule was to avoid entering Land of Fire, or be very careful when doing so. Leader's orders, as usual.

His wounds were all healed, and he took the time off to catch up on his sleep. Sooner or later he'll get another mission, another jinchuuriki to catch.

In the meantime, the Leader made sure he doesn't relax too much. At last he was summoned.

Time to seal the Niibi.

The first thing he heard once he took his spot on the right index finger was Hidan's annoyed: "Did you have to call us back just to seal the damn Two-tails?"

"This will take about three days. Be prepared."

"Three days? That's like, forever! We're out in the rain over here!" Now he was glad he was in the hideout.

"Hidan, shut up." Kakuzu cut him off.

"I was like…a second away from killing all of those godless Konoha idiots. I didn't even get a chance to tell them about Jashinism." Seems Kakuzu caught a whiff of another prominent bounty and dragged Hidan away from Land of Lightning as soon as the Niibi was caught.

"Konoha is far from godless. They view the generation before them as heavenly beings, and follow the Will of Fire."

Deidara tried not to make a face. Will of Fire, hah. He was taught about the Will of Stone, Konoha shinobi about the Will of Fire. Every nation talked about the same thing but used different names for it.

"Although…" Leader continued. "You could say it's just another excuse to fight."

"Are you making fun of me, bitch?!" He rolled his eyes. Kakuzu should really sew Hidan's mouth shut one of these days.

"No, I'm not trying to belittle your reason for fighting. Remember, I'm in the same boat as you. Your reasons don't matter at all. Religion, ideals, resources, land, grudges, love or just because. Any trivial thing that motivates people to action will eventually breed war. The reason can be dealt with afterwards, but war will always happen because all people truly want is to fight."

"No one's listening to your long-winded bullshit." Hidan was back at it again. "I do things my way, for my own purposes. I'm not gonna give all that up for your group." That's what he thought some time ago. They said they wanted him in the Akatsuki because of his 'talent', and then they didn't view his art as beautiful, only as useful.

A lot of things are useful, but not many are beautiful. It'd be a lie to say he wasn't a bit honored Akatsuki sought him out only because of how powerful he was, but even though he battled with many powerful opponents as its member, his talent would have been useful anywhere else. He didn't want his art to be useful. He wanted everyone to be terrified of his art, so terrified and in awe they could only think how beautiful it was. Or better yet, for them to think how beautiful it is only to be taken back by its transformation into raw power.

Yes, art was an explosion and no one will ever convince him otherwise.

"Working with us means working for us. If we achieve our goals, yours will be met that much faster." Yeah right. If Hidan's goal is to slaughter everyone, not only will he not succeed, but the Akatsuki won't let him. If his goal is to convert everyone to his stupid religion…well, the idiot doesn't know such a thing won't work.

"Yeah yeah, preach all you want. Akatsuki's just being reduced to a get-rich-quick scheme." Except the only one who got rich so far was Kakuzu, who was already rich to begin with.

Too bad he wasn't any good as a bounty hunter. He could repay his debt to Kakuzu faster by catching a couple of small-fry. Unfortunately, his jutsu isn't suited for keeping most of the body intact and recognizable, something bounty hunters had to keep in mind. He much rather preferred to leave them in pieces.

"You're just like Kakuzu. I hate people who fight for money more than anyone!"

"It's true that right now we have a pressing need for money. However, Akatsuki's true plans have always lain elsewhere. We merely need a vast amount of money to accomplish them."

"Well, being the second newest member after Tobi, I haven't had the chance to hear these amazing 'true plans'! Tch, plotting all this behind my back…" Deidara eyed the figure standing on Sasori's spot. He couldn't make out his face, and the figure kept silent. Guess that Tobi guy was Sasori's replacement.

"Did I hurt your feelings? Fine, I suppose it's time I tell you." The Leader cleared his throat. "Akatsuki's goals can be broken down into three steps. The first is to amass money. The second is to use the money to create the first true mercenary organisation the shinobi world has ever seen."

Hidan scoffed. "Huh? That's the same thing the ninja villages do now. You take a mission, complete it, and get paid. You wanna be the leader of a tiny, ghetto village with no country to back it up? That's retarded." He thought the idea was stupid too, the first time he heard it. But then he saw with his own eyes…

He couldn't help but smirk to himself. Yes, he saw with his own eyes how the mighty Onoki, Third Tsuchikage and the most prideful Iwa shinobi, contracted Akatsuki for jobs instead of his own suite of Iwa shinobi. He laughed for days when Leader sent him to complete Onoki's missions. First he gets thrown out of the village by his own sensei, then gets contracted to work for him once again. He enjoyed in the irony of it. The Old Geezer has fallen so low to request cheaper shinobi to solve Iwa's missions yet probably still flies around and talks how mighty Iwagakure is.

She was right when she called him a cheapskate.

His brows furrowed and his real body almost lowered his fingers from the seal. Idiot...it's been a while since his mind slipped up like that. It's all because Sasori had to mention shadows the last time he saw him.

"It's the exact opposite of a village allied with its country. Let's start with the basics."

"What?" Hidan asked.

"Countries with large, powerful ninja villages get the bulk of their capital through the shinobi business. By fighting battles both within and beyond their borders, these villages earn large amounts of money, essentially acting as the foundation of the country's economy. So, for these countries to remain financially stable, they need war."

"But nowadays, most missions amount to small skirmishes. Large, destructive wars have all but disappeared. As a result, many shinobi have lost their place as the countries continue cutting expenses. Shinobi who lived only to fight…They risked their lives for their nation, and were thanked by being abandoned. The Five Great Countries are in no danger. Both the countries themselves and their villages are well respected. They have many clients, within the country and others past their border, but that doesn't work for the smaller ones."

"It costs a lot to maintain a shinobi village, and those costs remain the same in both war and peacetime. But if those smaller villages reduce their forces too drastically, they won't be able to survive if a war breaks out. What Akatsuki is doing will change everything. No allegiance to any country, mobilizing only when necessary, using our shinobi only when required. We'll build up our forces through those small villages and countries, and create an army to bring war!"

"In the beginning, we'll fight any war for a minor cost, single-handedly gaining control of the war trade. As word spreads, we'll start using the Bijuu to manufacture our own wars, ones as big or small as the market requires. Before long…we'll have a monopoly on war. The entire ninja village system will fail, and the Five Great Countries will be forced to use Akatsuki." Some were already using it willingly.

"Then, and only then, will we have achieved our true goal. The third, and final step. We will…control the world."

The first time he heard the plan, he wanted to ask "And then what?"

He didn't ask it though. Maybe because deep down he doubted they'd ever get to the second stage of the whole plan. Old Geezer didn't care about them taking one of Iwa's jinchuuriki, but other countries won't be so indifferent as Onoki. Sooner or later they will send their forces after them, in order to protect their jinchuuriki. What happened to Sasori only strengthened that thought in his brain.

Would they be able to win against the entire Konoha? Hardly. They could overpower them with numbers and teamwork. He knew such a thing could take down anyone. What could give the Akatsuki an upper hand would be if all of them were immortal like Hidan. He doubted that would work though, since Deidara could think of at least five different ways to either kill the Jashinist or dismember him so much he'd never get pieced back together.

He didn't like to think too much about it. He gave up trying to prophesize his own future long ago. He gave up on planning his future. He harbored some wishes, but acted to fulfill only one and that was to test himself against powerful opponents – mainly take down the Kyuubi. And if he gets a chance that stupid Uchiha too. He didn't care about anything else and only wanted to continue advancing his art.

Despite not having anyone to show it to.

* * *

 **To** _Alkaline_ **\- so so regretful you left that review as a guest user, I would have answered you right away. I'd probably tell you to wait for this chapter and the ones that are coming (yes I'm writing in advance actually, I'm always at least four chapters ahead) and also, everything we know about Deidara's doings after he left Iwa and before Akatsuki drafted him in came from Sayomi. She doesn't have to know the whole story but more about that when we actually come that far in the story.**

 **While I'm still on topic of Deidara: I do think he's ruthless and sadist in a way but I also think he'd be just the same had he stayed in Iwa. In my opinion, he loves his art and he constantly tries to improve it and one way of doing that is to try it on various powerful opponents, that's why he wanted to try his art on Naruto in canon and later Sasuke. I think he'd be just the same in Iwa. I don't think he's as loyal to his village as some other characters are, but he'd see he can do what he wants while being an Iwa shinobi, just as he can do what he wants while being a member of the Akatsuki. Basically, as long as he can blow shit up, he'll be fine - either in Iwa, by himself, or in the Akatsuki. So no, he's not loyal to anyone but himself, but he sees the opportunities and he goes with the flow. But that's just my opinion.**

 **I'll cover their 'loyalty' to Iwa as we progress through the story. But yeah, if you want to talk about all these things just PM me or leave a review (though not as a guest user) so I can get back at you. Really loved you asking me questions about all of that! (And hell yeah, the 'troublesome' thing is Sayomi's inner Nara.)**

 **Lyrics about Sayomi's life for this week are: I, I follow/I follow you, deep sea baby/I follow you/I, I follow/I follow you, dark doom honey/I follow you. (Lykke Li - I follow rivers)  
**

 **Don't forget to review and thank you for reading :)**


	25. Part 2, Chapter 5

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Sayomi's POV**

 **Current location: Sunagakure**

It took me three days and exactly two nights to reach Suna. Upon reaching it I was met with a different Suna than I remembered. Sunagakure was an incredibly fortified village, even if you didn't take the desert surrounding it as an extra measure against possible attacks. The village was inside a valley, cliffs of rock around it reminding me of rocky mountains around Iwagakure. Iwa had higher mountains, harder to pass through, but once you did you could walk straight into the village. Suna's cliffs were easier to climb on, and they countered that problem with guards everywhere and only one entrance – a single cleft between two cliff faces.

I knew the passage collapsed. I've been hearing about it for a while now, from all kinds of people. But I severely underestimated how big of a change the collapse caused. Sure, they had enough time to clear the whole thing out, which they did, but they couldn't fix the cliffs completely. It looked better now that the passage was back in function but the after-effects of the whole ordeal were impossible to overlook.

For example, the passage was now wider than before, the cliff faces in its proximity lower than the rest. The whole front part, where the guards were usually stationed, wasn't there anymore, though it did look like they were working to get it back. Once I entered the village I was met with a pile of stones and boulders extracted from the passage, making me gawk even more than I already was.

But what really messed with my head happened a day later. I was making my way to a restaurant near the Kazekage's office, brainstorming real hard about my next step. I needed to find out what happened here, why was the Kazekage missing, and what or who caused the collapse of the entrance. The real problem was that my two trusted methods I usually used to acquire information had been temporarily terminated. I doubted I'd be able to sneak up on someone or even overhear drunk guards spilling info any time soon, and definitely not with their Kazekage still missing.

Everything was seemingly solved once I saw a man passing in front of me, wearing a green Kazekage hat. I came to a halt, looking at the red attire of the Kazekage and the two guards going after him. One of them was a man dressed in black, purple paint on his face, while the other one was a pale-blond girl with a fan on her back. She was telling something to the Kazekage and a lot of people on the street stopped with what they were doing, smiling and bowing to the kage and his entourage.

I remained standing there, following the trio with my eyes and questioning every bit of info I overheard in a last week or so. Kazekage was supposed to be missing. Every single person claimed he was missing. What was he doing here, casually strolling through the village?

Have I lost my mind?

No, I was positive everyone said missing. As if, unexpectedly left the village with no one knowing the reason. If it were an official trip of some sort, people would have told me so. Missing in my brain meant something suspicious came into play, with the Akatsuki being my best guess.

Was I too rash? Maybe I completely misunderstood the entire thing.

Feeling completely confused and disappointed at myself I went to eat. I was on my third spicy yakitori when I told myself I knew the whole thing was a stretch ever since I set my course to Suna. I'll continue with my plan regardless of it being connected to the Akatsuki or not.

But just like I predicted, not a lot of shinobi were in the restaurants, and those who were didn't get drunk. I didn't find out anything from them, and I knew they won't be talking about such a sketchy topic any time soon. They were mostly talking about being tired from cleaning out the passage, but didn't go into more detail about it. Over the course of the evening it became clear to me I'll have to employ drastic measures in order to uncover what exactly happened here. Everyone was secretive about it, so I had to risk it a bit more.

My next idea was to search for the official report about the collapse. I knew they had to write one, and it was just a question about it being written or not. Thankfully, I could navigate between shinobi offices in Suna better than I could in Iwa, all because I investigated them all the first time I visited the village. I couldn't visualize the exact interior of each and every one of them, but I did vaguely remember their locations. It took me a couple of hours but around five in the morning I found the correct place. It was a circular room in Kazekage's building, with bookshelves containing scrolls with missions, assignments, and current Suna agenda. It looked like a library, but it wasn't their official library. That was in a whole other building.

Yeah it was kinda stupid to infiltrate Kazekage's building so soon after the collapse, but I couldn't think of a better way to find out what interested me. And frankly I was tired of not knowing anything.

The room was dark and empty, with the table in the middle of the room littered with brushes, scrolls, documents, and a candle. I lit the candle, taking the first scroll on my left.

It was a deciphered message, the stamp on it belonging to Fifth Hokage. I narrowed my eyes, reading the contents of the message. Something about sending a backup team lead by Guy to assist the search party. I picked up the other scroll, also stamped by the Fifth Hokage, but pre-dating the first one, where it said she deployed Kakashi's team to help Suna.

So, it seems Suna was in such a state they required not one but two Konoha teams to help them.

I looked at the rest of the documents. One was a list of herbs and some medical liquids, with instructions on how to mix an antidote. Stapled to it was analysis of chemical compounds of a poison. I furrowed my brows at it, questioning what that had to do with anything. My question was answered soon enough, when I picked up a medical carton of a jonin named Kankuro. Turns out he was the one poisoned and then saved by the antidote.

The name was familiar but I couldn't remember why, so I continued to sift through the documents. And that's when it really got interesting. There was a hump of ninja files by the edge of the table. Top two proved to be the most interesting, with one belonging to a kunoichi named Chiyo, and the other to one and only; Sasori of the Red Sand. The ink was fresh on both files, marking both of them as deceased. But that's not all it said. Chiyo's file said she wasn't killed but died as a result of a kinjutsu. On top of the file was a signed document by the Kazekage himself to give a special posthumous title to her.

Sasori's file finally confirmed to me that he was a member of the Akatsuki. It also said Chiyo and Konoha's search party were the ones who killed him. The rest of the stacked files belonged to deceased Suna shinobi, but the exact reason for their death wasn't written, except for the Defence Captain named Yura; his file said he'd been killed by the Kazekage.

I could see all these things fit into a bigger picture, one that could tell me what exactly happened here, but so far I was missing the middle piece. Whatever happened with the Kazekage and with the passage had to be linked to Sasori. That much I could deduce. Though I couldn't tell if he was the sole perpetrator or even if he attacked them of his own volition. He could have done so under Akatsuki's orders, but him being ex-Suna shinobi also had to be taken into consideration. Who knows how much grudge he held against the village.

There was one more document left on the table, and I moved the brush from the bundle of papers covered in neat handwriting. It was the official report, the thing I was looking for in the first place.

The first two pages shed some light on the events.

Everything began when Kankuro, Kazekage's older brother, entered the kage's office and found Sasori of the Red Sand abducting unconscious Kazekage. There were no signs of fighting but Defence Captain Yura was found dead in the office, crushed to death by Kazekage's signature jutsu. Kankuro tried to stop him but was poisoned by Sasori's poison and succumbed to its symptoms, not managing to stop Sasori from taking the Kazekage with him or to alert a unit to do so in his behalf. He is the one who confirmed the perpetrator was Sasori, and that he was dressed in a black robe with a red cloud pattern. Sasori managed to leave the village without being seen, and take Kazekage to Akatsuki's hideout in the Land of Rivers.

I furrowed my brows. A hideout in the Land of Rivers you say. It seems I'll have to go and check it out.

The report continued, saying they found Kankuro after the explosion collapsed the entrance to Suna.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes.

The first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the crumbled passage was the extent of destructive power it'd take to do such a thing. Someone like Kitsuchi or Akatsuchi could have easily done it. They'd clap their hands and take it down without even breaking a sweat.

Someone with Bakuton wouldn't even need to clap their hands.

 _That's_ what I didn't want to think about. I didn't want to even consider it. I knew it was highly probable he could have taken that whole passage down, but I didn't want to get disappointed once I find out it wasn't him.

I went back to reading, but it didn't say what caused the explosion nor who triggered it. It definitely was an explosion, because everyone in the village heard it, and a couple of guards even saw it. That's what prompted them to go search for the Kazekage in the first place. And that's when they found out he was missing, Yura was dead, and Kankuro was within an inch of life. They sent a request for backup to Konoha, refraining from sending more Suna shinobi after the perpetrator because of what had been done to Kankuro. Konoha medic nin managed to concoct an antidote for Kankuro and save his life, before beginning their pursuit. They tracked Sasori to a hideout in Land of Rivers, finding him experimenting with sedatives on the kage's dead body. Half of the team searched the area for potential Akatsuki backup, and the rest took care of Sasori, in the end killing him. The Kazekage had its jinchuuriki extracted from him, but was brought to life by Chiyo-sama in exchange for her life. The Kazekage has no memories of the attack or the extraction, which they suspect is the result of sedatives Sasori injected him with.

Well, nothing pointed to Deidara being behind the explosion, but I couldn't think of anything that could be as powerful as his Bakuton while also being explosive. Like I said, if it were written that a Doton technique took it down, I wouldn't even blink, but an explosion of that caliber couldn't be done with explosive tags. I mean, it could, but maybe a thousand of them exploding simultaneously.

I bit my lip. Maybe someone passed through the entrance, going after the Kazekage and thus triggering the explosion and the collapse. I couldn't be sure because files of the shinobi guarding the passage didn't specify what was the cause of their death. I suspected it wasn't the explosion, because they would have written it already, but I still couldn't cross it out completely.

The light in the room slowly changed while I was in there, and right now I could make out the bookshelves, bathed in the light of the approaching morning. Not long and the sun will rise. I managed to snoop over everything in peace and I tried not to gloat too much about it. Despite Kazekage being kidnapped by Sasori only recently, I had no trouble breaking in their offices. And I did so twice so far.

I would have made a good spy. If I ever see Rin again I'll have to thank her for training me as good as she did.

I was about to blow the candle out when I noticed one scroll rolled under the table. I was positive nothing fell while I was in the room, so I knelt down to take a look at it.

It was another message, but this one wasn't from the Hokage.

 _An organisation by the name of Akatsuki has been steadily growing its reputation and expanding its ranks. Its members are S-rank missing nin, with two confirmed members being Itachi Uchiha of Konohagakure and Kisame Hoshigaki of Kirigakure. All members wear a black cloak with a red cloud pattern, and that is so far the safest way to confirm whether someone belongs in the organisation in question. Although its end goal is unknown, there is a great degree of certainty they are going after the bijuu. I advise all Defence Captains to undertake proper measures considering Akatsuki's threat._

 _Konohagakure's Sannin, Jiraiya._

I almost hit the table with my head once I read the signed name at the end of the message. I became absolutely livid, blowing out the candle and leaving the room.

Two years ago, when I left Kirigakure and set my course to Sunagakure, I took a pit stop in a small village in Land of Fire closest to the shore. I sat down in a restaurant filled with merchants and farmers, with my cloak off and headband hidden; taking my time to read the book I bought in Kirigakure, the one that became my most useful possession.

And that's when I met _him._

"Aah, I see you're enjoying in one of my literary works, young lady." I looked up, being taken aback by this man approaching me. No one approached me before and I couldn't remember when I actually talked with anyone if it wasn't for the sake of acquiring info.

"Your literary works?" I asked, looking at a white-haired man in a green kimono, two red lines coming from his eyes and down to his chin. He seemed old, not as old as Onoki-sensei, but not that young either. He pointed to the back of the book and I turned the page, seeing writer on the photograph was the same guy who now took a seat in front of me.

"Jiraiya, was it?" I read and he grinned, looking at my cup.

"Who drinks green tea so late at night?" He asked before calling the server. "Can I get a bottle of sake here?" And in a second he was pouring me a glass. I tapped on the table, having a feeling it won't be easy to excuse myself, but also how he didn't seem like a real threat. So I went along with it.

"I haven't seen that book in a while. Where'd you find it?" I tapped my fingers on the table. "In Kirigakure. It was on clearance."

"That book always had poor sales. But you should check out my other books, they are an absolute hit!" He raised his cup in the air and I followed with a "Kanpai!"

"What are they called?"

"The series is called Icha Icha." He winked at me, pouring me another shot of sake. Dear goodness.

"Now, what is a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?" I tried not to make a face. The man was maybe thrice my age, yet despite his weird statements he didn't come across as sleazy.

"I'm traveling."

"Oh, all the way from Kirigakure?"

"I'm not from Kirigakure."

"Of course you're not, I know a shinobi when I see one." My eyes widened and he burst out laughing. I even took off my headband for the sake of not being noticed.

"Am I a detective or not?" He raised his glass and I followed, not liking that he threw me off guard like that. Or that he was slowly getting me drunk.

Okay, he seemed way drunk than I was, but still.

"So, why are you traveling?" He didn't seem bad but I didn't like him being the only one asking questions.

"Why are you asking me all this?"

"I can catch a break only when my student is sleeping, and why not catch a break in such a fine company?" He grinned.

"You have a student? Does that mean you are a shinobi?" He poured me more sake and I took that as a yes.

"I told you my name, can I ask for yours?" I knew he was drunk, yet the way he switched from his flirty persona to a serious one made me doubt it. I could tell he was a bit suspicious of me but that he's decided to give me a pass regardless.

"Sayomi."

"Kanpai, Sayomi!" I drank some more, feeling warm on the inside. The longer I sit here the drunker I'll become, and that cannot end well.

"You didn't answer my question." I eyed my empty cup. "I'm looking for my friend."

"Any luck?"

"Well I'm sitting here drinking sake with you, so no." He poured me another glass and I thought; might as well.

"Listen, I'm well-versed in searching for things that aren't easy to find. The key is time."

"Time?" I thought he would give me a more useful advice.

"Nothing is untraceable but it takes a long time to find something that's valuable. Even when you think your job's done because you've found it, you have to keep protecting it."

"What are you searching for?"

"Peace." He smiled, his eyes glazed.

"Like that character of yours?" I glanced at the book. He nodded. "Until I find peace I make do with other things that come my way. Like women and drinks."

Shameless.

He raised his glass and I followed, smirk on my face as I took another shot of sake.

"You do know I'm only seventeen, right?" As if I punched him in the face. He looked at me shocked and I burst out laughing. "Wh-what? Are you sure you're only seventeen?"

It must have been a mixture of sake and that heartfelt laugh that burst out of me but I found myself blurting out: "I haven't laughed like this in too long." That kinda pulled him from his shock and he smiled, reaching for my book and taking out a pen from his inner pocket.

"I always wanted to sign a copy of this book. No one came to the signing back in the day." He signed himself in the back. "The book will fetch a fine price now."

"It's a good story." I muttered, feeling tipsy. "Maybe one day you'll find that peace I speak of." He said, standing up.

"I'll have peace when I find my friend."

"Thank you for your company, Sayomi." He left and I leaned on my seat, feeling tears in my eyes.

Goddamit Deidara...where are you?

* * *

 _One way or another/I'm gonna find ya'/I'm gonna get ya', get ya', get ya', get ya'/One way or another/I'm gonna see ya'/I'm gonna meet ya', meet ya', meet ya', meet ya'/One day maybe next week/I'm gonna meet ya'/I'm gonna meet ya', I'll meet ya'_

 **Midterms nearly killed me and finals are already this close...The only thing I can think of is how I have to get to writing pronto or I'll run out of chapters to post. For now you'll safe though.**

 **I think that's all I wanted to say this week.**

 **Thank you for reading, and it'd be super rad if you leave a review. :)**


	26. Part 2, Chapter 6

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 6**

Deidara was standing in front of the Akatsuki hideout in the Land of Fire, his hands crossed as he kept looking at Sasori's replacement and his new partner; Tobi.

"No way, un." He said to Zetsu that stood nearby. "I don't need a partner, and I definitely don't need him as a partner." Tobi, dressed in Akatsuki cloak with an orange mask covering his face, introduced himself as his 'supervision'.

"It was a joke, Deidara-senpai!" But all Deidara could hear was Zetsu's: "Leader's orders."

"You say that about everything, un." Deidara muttered, glancing at Zetsu. "He won't be of any help taking down the Kyuubi."

"Your next objective is Sanbi." Zetsu corrected him and Deidara's eyes widened.

"What?" He turned. "I exchanged my quota with Sasori you know? He takes down Ichibi and I get the Kyuubi, un."

"Sasori didn't get Kyuubi as his quota, but Sanbi. So Sanbi is now yours to take." Deidara gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath.

Thanks a lot, Master Sasori. Now he'll have to postpone going after Kyuubi until after sealing the Sanbi he has yet to catch.

"Fine, whatever, un." He thought going after the Kyuubi as a member of the Akatsuki would be easier than it was. His plans got thwarted twice so far, or thrice, since Kyuubi came to Sasori just as he left him.

"With Tobi."

"I don't need a partner." He emphasized.

"Hidan and Kakuzu were killed only recently, we mustn't put ourselves at too much risk." Another piece of news he didn't initially believe in. Zombie Combo, or the immortal Kakuzu and Hidan, killed by Konoha shinobi.

Hidan was an idiot, so it didn't surprise him that someone smarter constructed a way to get rid of him. But Kakuzu…unbelievable. He was perhaps stronger than Sasori, and certainly had the most battle experience out of everyone in the Akatsuki. How did Konoha shinobi find a way to take him down was baffling, and a tiny bit worrying. It only made him think of that squabble between Hidan and the Leader during the sealing of the Niibi. Six Akatsuki members remained, or five since Zetsu wasn't a fighter. Leader must be insane to think six of them can do anything to Five Great Nations, granted they even collect all the bijuu.

"Let's go, Deidara-senpai!" Tobi yelled, raising his fist in the air.

Seven…seven Akatsuki members. For some reason Tobi made it in.

"Yeah yeah." He sighed as Tobi waved to Zetsu. "See ya soon, Mister Zetsu!"

"I told you…Tobi is a good boy." Zetsu said and Deidara made a face, feeling older than his nineteen years in the company of a kid.

Usually he was the youngest Akatsuki member, being only nineteen. He was drafted in as a sixteenyear old, and Leader cited they heard about him because of the commissions he took while traveling Land of Earth. Back then those commissions were part of his plan. He'll make enough explosions for Onoki to notice, and then show him how no Iwa shinobi was a match for him in terms of skills he provided. Old Geezer, reigning in that secluded Iwagakure of his, didn't pick up on his doings. But the Akatsuki did.

And then Itachi tricked him into joining. Over the years he actually felt thankful to him, since the defeat inspired him to create new jutsu. He took measures to train his left eye to counter genjutsu and to truly develop himself as a long-range fighter. He expanded his chakra control so the strength of his explosions now ranged from C1 to C4. New types of chakra required new jutsu and once he was satisfied with both the artistic and explosive components of his new techniques, he made sure to try all of them on various jobs Akatsuki sent him on. In a way they gave him time to grow as a fighter before sending him after the Ichibi and he himself tested his skills on numerous opponents, some of them quite formidable.

Had he stayed in Iwagakure he definitely wouldn't have expanded his skills to such an extent. His C4 was made specifically to render Sharingan useless, and one day he'll use it to get rid of Itachi once and for all. As for the Akatsuki…he didn't hate it, but he was pretty indifferent whether they'll achieve their goals or not. He knew he was just a pawn, but he had enough freedom to not care about that part.

"We must be careful, Deidara-senpai. Mister Zetsu told me Sanbi is on the south border of Land of Fire and Land of Water. We could run into Konoha shinobi and end up like Kakuzu-senpai and Hidan-senpai."

"We won't." Now that he thought about it, with Kakuzu being gone he doesn't have to repay his debt.

He smirked to himself.

Although he'll have to be careful not to wreck his arms again.

"Did Zetsu tell you where exactly the Sanbi is?" Tobi shook his head.

"Great, un." Approximate location near the border still left them with a large area to search. And he can't really comb it all with his birds since there could be shinobi stationed near the border.

Stupid Sanbi. Why didn't Sasori tell him he didn't get the Kyuubi in the first place. Played him like a fool.

Or a puppet.

He made a face.

He could have at least gotten Yonbi instead of Sanbi. As far as the intel goes, Yonbi is an Iwa shinobi. Onoki didn't care when they took Gobi, but maybe Itachi and Kisame struck a nerve by taking Yonbi and he moves out to attack. Oh he would have loved to have a go at the Old Geezer but knowing him, he'll let them take Yonbi without much fuss.

He'd prefer if he could meet Onoki out on the battlefield. Just to see how he'd do against Jinton. A single team of Iwa shinobi could do the trick just the same. He could take them out and watch as Onoki loses his mind. Either of those situations would be fine, as long as he doesn't have to come anywhere near Iwa to get such a thing. He knew chances of it happening were nonexistent, because seeing an Iwa shinobi outside Land of Earth was the rarest thing in the world.

Of course no one in the Akatsuki would have said anything if he had gone over to Iwa to blow it up, but such a thing was too risky for his taste.

"Deidara-senpai, how long till we get there?" He glanced at the masked man.

"What are you, three? We'll get there when we get there, un."

"Then can we take a break?"

"Now?"

"I have to go pee." Tobi crossed his legs and Deidara deadpanned.

"Are you kidding me, un?" Tobi ran in the woods while Deidara stood there, feeling ticked off.

"Don't peak!" He facepalmed. Next time, leader's orders or not, he's not playing a babysitter.

This will be one long mission.

* * *

 **Sayomi's POV**

 **Current location: Land of Rivers**

Though Suna's report stated they found the Kazekage in Akatsuki's hideout in Land of Rivers, they didn't provide a map to the place. So I was looking at a high probability of wasting a couple of days in the search for it.

I thought about giving up on that search as I approached the border. I could still turn around and proceed to Konoha. Why should I even search for that hideout? No way Akatsuki was still using it after the battle took place.

Why I went to search for it nevertheless was because I had an idea where that hideout might be. I was once again acting on my hunch which told me I've seen something that could be a potential Akatsuki hideout the first time I went through the Land of Rivers. So I just wanted to see whether I was right.

I had a whole list of possible Akatsuki hideouts, some of them more probable than the others. I saw many weird things during my travels, and not everything had an explanation. Like why I kept coming across research laboratories, caves with seals on them, and seemingly uninhabited secluded prisons. After learning about Orochimaru I realized many of those places could be his doing. However, this place in Land of Rivers I couldn't connect to him.

I came across it the first time I was going to Sunagakure. Land of Rivers was largely uninhabited and therefore lacked large roads. The forest there was especially dense, with no straight path through. As I was making my way I hit the cliffs and noticed a river below, flowing through a steep canyon. I continued to walk on the edge of the cliffs, following the river flow, when I noticed a _torii_ shape near the other side of the cliffs. As I came closer I confirmed it really was a _torii_ , and right behind it was a huge boulder. The boulder was a strange occurrence because the canyon sides have been consistent all throughout, and then this boulder was jammed in there as if he was hiding something. I was too curious to just keep going so I came down. The boulder in such a place didn't make the whole thing suspicious. But the seal on it did.

I debated for hours whether I should remove the seal or not, in the end deciding it's too risky with me being by myself. I was certain it was an entrance to a cave of some sort, but I couldn't teleport inside, obviously, and after going up and about I concluded there were no alternative entrances. The whole thing frustrated me because the seal meant something important was inside, and I wanted to see what. Being unable to enter it I eventually dropped it, continuing to Suna.

I found similar looking things all over the continent. One seal was located in a mountain passage, on the shore of Land of Hot Springs. Another one I found on the border of Land of Fire and Kusagakure, in a bamboo forest. I even found one such seal behind a waterfall, in close proximity to Takiagakure.

As to why was I behind a waterfall…well, I wanted to check whether my jutsu works on surface of water, but once I saw the seal I freaked out. Both because it was the second time I saw it, and because I didn't have much clothes on since I was training near the waterfall.

I didn't know whether that had anything to do with the Akatsuki. Finding the second seal made me suspicious, but not even the third and the fourth seal confirmed my doubts. I was just really curious as to why a seal would be in random places over the continent.

But now…I had a feeling it could have something to do with the Akatsuki after all. Again, just a hunch and a gamble, but my hunch proved to be correct about Akatsuki attacking Suna so I decided to trust it once more.

I reached the cliffs around noon but wasted hours going down it, looking at the river flowing in the canyon below. Seeing I was alone I relaxed completely, my hands behind my head as I gazed at the clouds.

Then I saw a gaping hole on the other side of the cliffs, my eyes widening at the sight. _Torii_ remained intact but the boulder was gone. I gaped at the empty place where the boulder once was, and a hole directly above the space I suspected was the cave. I looked around before carefully making my way inside.

No mistaking it, the boulder was in pieces, as well as the entirety of the cave from floor to ceiling. The hole above let just enough sunlight for me to inspect the place, seeing remainings of puppets strewn over the floor, most of them now buried under rocks. I was walking past three puppets when my eyes caught sight of something shiny. I came closer, picking up a crossed out Sunagakure headband in front of the three puppets lying on the ground, area around them covered in black markings, looking like some form of a seal. I furrowed my brows and took a better look at the puppets. The puppet in the middle had four blades impaled through his back, dried red marks on them. I looked around the room, knowing very well that no other puppet had been severely wounded, nor had any traces of blood like this one.

So maybe this one wasn't a puppet. I brought my eyes back to what I assumed was a dead man, but by him lying on his stomach I could only make out his messy red hair. I bit my lip and crouched next to him, placing my hand on his shoulder and tilting him in order to take a look at his face. My breath caught up in my throat as his eyes pierced through me. His eyes were open wide as if he was alive which was impossible since he didn't blink, didn't move, and didn't breathe. Oh, and the swords going through his chest should also be taken into consideration.

I snapped away from his eyes, looking closely at the rest of his features. Something about his state was bugging me from the very beginning and now that I observed him I finally put my finger on it. He didn't stink. His flesh didn't show signs of decay. Even if he had been killed hours before, his body couldn't have stayed in such a perfect state.

I took a deep breath and touched his forehead with the tip of my finger, my brows furrowing as I tapped on his skin with my nail. His skin felt weird.

I gathered the rest of my courage and knocked on his forehead with my knuckles. That pretty much proved my thoughts were going in the right direction. The dead man in front of me wasn't human, he was a puppet.

But why the hell were the blades bloody?

I knelt on my knees, grabbing him by both shoulders and tilting him further so I can have a better look at the enter wound. It was a circular spot in his chest, and this one showed signs of rotting.

I pursed my lips, trying to connect all the information in my brain. The man was either a puppet or was made of wood for some reason, excluding the fleshy part in his chest which was the only part of his body that was stabbed and showed signs of decay. Was that even possible? Maybe he wasn't even alive, maybe that was some weird puppet technique.

Was this Sasori? I couldn't tell with certainty. In the end, knowing who this was meant nothing to me. This battle and its fighters had nothing to do with me, nor were they beneficial for my search in any way.

Once I inspected the entirety of the cave I moved out, going towards the border with Land of Fire. It was a river, surprise surprise, but smaller than the one where the hideout was. I sat down on the bank, taking off my sandals and cooling my feet in the running water. It was late afternoon and the sky was slowly losing its brilliant blue color. Light breeze kept messing up my hair as I stared at my feet in the water.

I went to Suna to check why was the Kazekage missing. I went to Land of Rivers to look at the wrecked Akatsuki hideout. I had no more detours to make. It was finally time to go to Konoha.

Not only that but for the first time I actually wanted to go to Konoha. I wanted to find Jiraiya and kick his ass. He was the one who knew more about the Akatsuki than I did. He knew what their goal was, which I thought is the most important thing I still hadn't uncovered. I was pissed ever since I learned he's the one who sent a notice to every hidden village to double their guards. The one person who might know Deidara's whereabouts drank sake with me and gave me an autograph. Just my luck to let him slip through my fingers.

Maybe I really wanted to kick my own ass.

I ran fingers through my hair, pressing my palms into my eyes. I'll go to Konoha, I'll find Jiraiya and maybe, just maybe, he knows where I can find Deidara.

Or maybe now that I know Akatsuki is after the bijuu I should find a jinchuuriki and stick close to it. Yeah, but where the hell can I find a jinchuuriki?

I sighed, pulling my cold feet out of the water, sitting in a lotus pose. There was no one in this area of the woods except me and the birds, their chirping along with the running water the only sound.

I kept taking in the nature around me, wishing I took my time to go to the shore again. I wanted to reach Suna as fast as possible, even though nothing would have changed if I prolonged that travel for two more days. I don't know why the sea had such an impact on me. Iwa barely had any trees to begin with, and no one ever talked about the sea because it was rare for an Iwa shinobi to ever come in contact with it. Our missions rarely brought us that far.

I still thought of Iwa as my home. I grew up there and I couldn't disregard that. What truly made it my home were the people I met and bonded with. When I was a kid I was always by myself, and felt disconnected from the village and from its people. I felt like that because I was left all by myself, with barely any family to remember. I thought it was the ugliest place ever with just rock everywhere. I grew to like it over time, but only after I made connections with others: Rin-sensei, Kitsuchi, Onoki-sensei, Akatsuchi, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara.

I met him first and he soon became the person I was the closest with. Iwa wouldn't be the same without him. It wouldn't be my home.

I often amazed myself how in these three years I never felt disconnected again, even though at times I really was disconnected. I could travel alone for days, and not speak to another person for weeks. Apart from that more or less heartfelt talk with Jiraiya, I hadn't been conversing with anyone. Sometimes I'd be afraid I'll lose my mind.

But I didn't. I lingered around people and in public places enough to not go completely mad, but what really helped me was the fact that I had a goal. I had a clear goal in my head on which I could concentrate, and I got enough clues and hope here and there to not lose focus.

Sometimes, like when I'd walk alone in a heavy rainfall especially, I'd overthink the whole thing and feel disheartened. Maybe I'm wasting my time. Maybe he doesn't want to come back to Iwa. Maybe my whole plan fails. What if he goes back to Iwa and blows the whole place up? What if I run into Akatsuki, but not him, and I get killed. What if he gets killed before I find him?

And the worst of all; what if I'm just holding on to a friendship that's no longer there?

I think that's why I loved the sea so much. I would look at its glistening surface and the cloudless sky and I'd be filled with hope. Of course I'll find Deidara, it was just a matter of time. I see something new every day, so I'm not wasting my time. I don't care if he doesn't want to come back to Iwa, that's his home and he doesn't have anywhere else to go. My plan won't fail because I know I'm Onoki-sensei's weak point. He won't go and blow the whole village up, he had a chance and he didn't take it. I sure hope I'll run into a member of the Akatsuki, whoever it is as long as he or she leads me to Deidara. There's no way Deidara will get killed, he's not weak.

As for the worst doubt of mine, I was never satisfied with made up answers as to why that's not true. If he thinks our friendship is through, he'll tell me so when I find him.

Once my feet dried I put my sandals on, standing up and stretching. No more excuses Sayomi. Konoha is your next destination. It's currently your best bet. If the Akatsuki is making a move on the jinchuuriki, Deidara is out there somewhere following orders. You need to get him out.

It's been too long since I last saw him, and I felt it was finally time to conclude my travel. The answers I came up with meant little without him proving me either correct or wrong.

Deidara, you may not know it, but I'm right behind you.

* * *

 _Torii - a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to sacred._ (I didn't know this but I think it's so cool, especially if you consider its placement in front of the hideout.)

* * *

 **Next chapter will be up in two weeks if everything goes according to plan because my finals are starting and I want to get them over with as fast as possible. Also, it's become really hard for me to write this, maybe because while I had time I wrote in advance so as to prepare chapters for weeks when I don't have time to write them. It worked well but now I have to get back to writing and I'm just not feeling it because last few weeks I'd put up a new chapter and then stop thinking about the story until the next week. :/**

 **I will get back to it, even though right now that seems hard but I'm determined to finish it and I'm determined to keep it more or less regular because my other story has been sitting unfinished for years now and I update very rarely, just because I got too relaxed about it and let it sit for too long. (I'm still letting it sit fml)  
**

 **Knowing that someone is reading this is definitely a motivation, and I'll do my best to not give you guys too big of a wait between chapters while also being satisfied with the end product.**

 **Thank you for reading, as always :)**


	27. Part 2, Chapter 7

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 7**

"Excellent, sealing of the Sanbi is now complete." Leader said and Deidara sighed, not feeling himself in the best mood.

He was annoyed for days now. Going after Sanbi had been the worst thing for his nerves.

First that stupid Tobi kept blabbing on and on about…who even knows what. Then whines and cries he's tired only to be running around a second after he said that. He tried to tolerate him, he really did, even going so far to indulge in dango because he wanted it.

And then: "Look Deidara-senpai, this looks like your art, doesn't it? Could it be your art-style is a rip-off?"

He stopped caring about him being his partner and blew Tobi up. The idiot survived, unfortunately, but now whenever he came close to Deidara he'd avoid him, or promptly tell him to "Piss off!"

He can deal with Sasori telling him his art is just a noise and a mess. He can argue with him for days if need be, even though he knew Sasori won't change his mind. Master Sasori never called his art a rip-off, so the nerve of this kid to even let those words out of his stupid mouth was truly something. More so because he dared to make such an observation after he took time to show him what his C1 and C2 can do. Before he could continue to amaze him with the genius of his C3 and C4, the moron had to pee again.

Then he began to think Tobi may be pulling an act. No way would a normal person behave like that. No way would such a person be powerful enough to join the Akatsuki. Hidan was an idiot too, but at least he had something useful about him. This one just kept pulling dumb jokes.

Leader must be brain dead to let a kid like Tobi join. Because he really was a kid. At one point he just straight up disappeared after he ignored him too much.

Before having to resort to searching for him, Tobi came back, redeeming himself with the information about Sanbi's whereabouts. That put Deidara in a slightly better mood, because he didn't have to waste precious time anymore. He followed Tobi to the lake, learning from two Konoha Anbu that Sanbi emits poisonous mist, known to cause hallucinations. A helpful tidbit, so he thanked them by blowing them up.

And then: "Now, let's go collect our quota while we still have a chance!"

"You're a hundred years too young to be bossing me around, un." He modeled a bird, deciding to take Sanbi out without coming close to the mist.

"H-hey, Senpai! Wait! Didn't you hear that story about the hallucinations?"

"Who do you think you're talking to? My art will take him out in no time!"

The lake was too big and too deep to search for the Sanbi with normal means so Deidara pulled a trick out of his sleeve, revealing his explosives to be useful underwater as well. It was a wonderful sight; explosions spraying water everywhere, breaking the calmness of the lake and waking Sanbi up.

Sanbi may have been without a jinchuuriki host and therefore weaker, but its size was unrivaled. Keeping out of its reach proved to be the best strategy.

"I think I'll leave the rest to you, Deidara-senpai."

"Tobi, you were accepted in the Akatsuki just recently, right? You take care of the rest, un." For the next couple of minutes Deidara observed, unimpressed, Tobi sprinting away from the tailed beast.

Tobi soon took a dive and disappeared underwater. Deidara waited for a minute or two, primarily because he wanted to see Tobi unleashing his powerful technique, if he even had one. But when no such thing happened, he let an audible sigh and decided to get this over with. He plunged his explosives, finally knocking the Sanbi out.

He was once again the one who did the most work, while Tobi jumped up and down, celebrating his own victory. Deidara silently boiled, thinking how Tobi's done absolutely nothing. Catching Sanbi was easier than it was to subdue the Kazekage and his Ichibi, but it still required some effort.

"Did you see my jutsu, Deidara-san? It was a one-hit knockout! Even as an Akatsuki rookie, they knew that I alone was plenty for such a momentous task, don't ya think?"

Deidara was on his last nerve.

"I'm just that awesome, right?"

"No. The artistic gift of my explosive clay made the outcome. It's my art that deserves praise here, un." He leaned towards Tobi standing on motionless Sanbi. "Don't get so cocky and forget I helped you. You should shut your mouth and act calm and cool." He smirked.

"Being cool means being artistic, un. So listen up! Art is the result of a cool mind giving birth to a fiery moment of-"

"Senpai, you're talking more than me though." Tobi let out a small chuckle and Deidara felt a vein pop up.

Last. Nerve.

"Hey, I was jok-" but Deidara already sent explosives after him, making sure the masked man gets soaked.

Later, when he calmed down a bit, he tried to soothe things out. His clay birds were pulling Sanbi towards the shore and Tobi did help with the ropes. He tried to show Tobi just how weak Sanbi was and how he shouldn't overestimate his abilities, only to learn Tobi wasn't listening at all but actually sleeping soundly.

"You little shit! I'll give you a nice, explosive wake-up call!" All in all, he spent one third of the clay he took with him on Sanbi, and one third on Tobi.

He felt like Kakuzu every time he'd send bombs after Tobi, since he was known to kill his partners if they irritated him too much. Deidara could finally relate.

Sanbi was sealed, so that was one worry less. He'll rest for a day or two and then he goes after the Kyuubi, no matter what anyone says. He bided his time long enough, and after having done all these jobs for the Akatsuki he expected to get something back. He heard plenty about Kyuubi and its jinchuuriki, but not even the information that he took Kakuzu down deterred him.

Just one more powerful opponent he'll take out when the time comes.

* * *

 **Sayomi's POV**

 **Current location: Konohagakure**

I was sitting in a park in Konoha, my hands crossed as I stared at the cliffs on the edge of the village. My gaze was returned by four faces of Konoha's previous and one current kage.

I wondered who came up with this. To just chisel out a kage's face. It seems the whole village liked the idea because they kept doing it, the final number being five faces. Five faces staring at you day by day.

Now that I thought about it, all the other villages were either on their fourth or the fifth kage. Except Iwa, that is. Our third Tsuchikage has been on that position for decades now, and he didn't think about naming his replacement any time soon.

Unless something changed in three years. But I doubted. I knew from Onoki-sensei's scrolls how Third Hokage named his successor and stepped down, even though he was still in good health. He just wanted to retire, so I wondered why Onoki-sensei hasn't done the same thing. He probably thought no one was his suitable successor.

I continued to stare at them because I couldn't discern whether the faces were creepy or not. First time I visited Konoha they freaked me out. I mean, I was pretty freaked out about being in the village to begin with, so the five faces staring down at me no matter where I was in the village freaked me out even more. Now I was calmer, so I thought about other aspects. I even wondered why I've never seen such a thing before, even though a lot of villages had mountains or cliffs around them.

That's when I came up with an idea of chiselling out kage's faces on the front part of Iwa's cliffs, but what really made me laugh was that I couldn't decide who would scare people away the most; Mu-sama's unemotional face or Onoki-sensei's stern one.

Why I kept myself entertained in that park was because I wanted to savor this moment of peace. These couple of days in Konoha have been plenty to say the least.

Once I came to Konoha I made a sound plan about getting into their offices, with a goal in mind to find Jiraiya's file. If he had an address here in Konoha, I was about to come by for a cup of tea and all the info he has about the Akatsuki. Sure, he might not even be aware of Deidara's existence, but maybe he had better info than I did regarding their potential hideouts. Hell, maybe he was about to go after them himself and I was ready to join him.

It took me a whole night to find his file, and when I finally did it was to my disappointment that he didn't have a permanent address. Where the hell am I supposed to find him now?

I thought about snooping around Hokage's office then, since they were probably in touch with him about the whole Akatsuki ordeal. He knew enough to share info with other villages, but probably kept the juiciest info for his own village.

Except that meddling around Hokage's office was something I didn't want to do. It was too risky to get close to any kage, considering they were the strongest shinobi in the village and had their own suite of Anbu looking out for them. Infiltrating any office was fine, but following a kage around? No, that's where I drew a line.

Why I came back to the offices a second night was because my curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to find my mother's file and see what kind of person she was. I didn't find her file, I guess they kept files of deceased shinobi elsewhere, but I found a lot of Nara's while browsing through the N part.

I read all the files, finding my mother's name in a file belonging to Shikaku Nara.

I looked at his photo. He was a man in his forties, with two scars on his face, black eyes, black goatee, with hair up in a ponytail. That man was… _is_ my uncle.

I felt weird thinking that. Why should I call him uncle? I had no family, no connection to them at all. They don't even know I exist.

Shikaku Nara, jonin commander, Hokage's advisor, and the head of the Nara clan. Sister: Shiori Nara. Wife: Yoshino Nara. Son: Shikamaru Nara.

Great, I even had a cousin. Psh, whatever. All that meant nothing to me. What did give me an idea though, was the fact that he is Hokage's advisor. He might know where Jiraiya is because of it.

But visiting him was even madder than visiting Tsunade. I'll find Jiraiya by myself.

So the next day I wandered up and about the village, having no luck whatsoever in spotting anyone resembling Jiraiya even a tiny bit. I was once again hitting a dead end in my search and that was driving me nuts. Wanting to relax a bit I entered a ramen shop, feeling tired from the lack of sleep last couple of days and from the constant worrying, planning, calculating and recalculating my next step. Try to find out anything at all about Akatsuki. Don't get spotted by anyone. Don't get tailed by anyone. Make sure you don't leave any clues about your breaking-in's. My head was filled with hundreds of thoughts and the only reason why they didn't keep me awake at night was because I was usually exhausted and too sleep deprived to be thinking up all night.

"What can I get you miss?" Man with slanted eyes asked me, wearing an apron and chef's hat.

"Do you have spicy ramen?" I blurted out, thinking back on Suna's delicious food.

"Spicy? No one asked me for a spicy ramen before." I quickly waved my hand around, feeling like an idiot for letting that slip out of my mouth. I was in Konoha, not Suna, and their cuisines differed greatly. Asking for spicy things specifically can only draw unnecessary attention.

"Please don't mind me, I ate such a thing once so-"

"Everyone knows Ichiraku ramen is the best ramen in Konoha! Ayame!" The girl behind him turned around. "Yes?"

"The miss wants a spicy ramen, let's go all in." The girl snickered and I buried my head in my hands, feeling embarrassed.

"Hey Old Man!" Someone walked in and I turned to the side, pulling my book from the pouch in order to busy myself while waiting for my ramen. That's when the chef spoke: "Welcome, Naruto!"

I spun my head around, looking at the blond-haired guy taking a seat. He was grinning, Konoha headband on his forehead, dressed in black and orange tracksuit. I thought about it for a moment before I pulled out my book and opened the first page. Then I looked at the kid again.

"Is your name really Naruto?" He turned to me, his blue eyes wide and his grin even wider.

"Yeah, I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Who are you?"

"The miss who decided to take the spicy Ichiraku ramen."

"I didn't know you had spicy ramen." He scratched his head. "Can I get one?"

"It will be really spicy Naruto. Are you sure?" The girl asked him.

"Hey if there's a secret Ichiraku menu I want to try it too!" The chef nodded, going to help the girl.

"How did you know about the secret menu?" Naruto turned to me but I ignored his question, pointing at the book I was holding.

"The main character of this book is also called Naruto."

"Really?" He leaned forward, taking a closer look at the book. "Tale of a Gutsy Ninja. Never heard of it…Wait, it was written by Ero-sennin?!" His eyes widened, pointing a finger at the book.

"Huh?"

"I thought he only wrote those stupid Icha Icha!"

"Ero-sennin? You mean Jiraiya?" He tilted his head. "Yeah, do you know the pervy old man?"

"I do." I cracked a smile, seeing I wasn't the only one who thought of him as a pervy old man.

"How do you know him?" I asked.

"He's my sensei."

I thought I'll combust out of sheer happiness and luck I was feeling. I nearly jumped from my seat.

"Do you know where I can find him?"

"Well I haven't seen him for a while. I'll have to ask Granny Tsunade where he went." And just like that my balloon of happiness deflated and I sighed, knowing that it was too good to be true.

"Oh, I hoped he was still in the village. I don't know if I'll be here much longer anyway." I rested my chin in my hand.

"Yeah, I don't think I've seen you before. Where are you from?"

"I'm not from anywhere, I'm just traveling."

"Why do you need to talk to Ero-sennin then?"

"I thought he could help me in my search." I put the book back in my pouch. "I'm having trouble finding my friend." I said, feeling more talkative than usual. Maybe it was because he was Jiraiya's student and Jiraiya is the one whom I told my goal just the same.

"Yeah, I know how that's like." The tone of his voice changed and I looked at him. He seemed disappointed at himself, and maybe even a tiny bit sad.

"I need to bring my own friend back to the village."

"It seems we share a common goal." I gave him a weak smile but he gave me a giant grin.

"I'll bring him back, no matter what. I promised and I don't go back on my word. That's my ninja way!" He seemed very optimistic about it, and a part of me immediately dubbed him as a naïve little kid. Kids talk about their ninja way and unbreakable promises.

"I sure hope you will." I said, not wanting to break his spirit.

"Of course I will, I have a lot of people who'll help me along the way." Before I could ask him what he meant by that he continued. "Once I bring my friend back I'll become the next Hokage and then the whole village will have to acknowledge me!"

My eyes widened as I stared at him, at his giant grin and blond hair.

" _If I become Tsuchikage whole village will have to acknowledge my art!"_

I saw Deidara so clearly in that grin Naruto was giving me. He'd grin just like that when he talked about his art. It was his fuel, and his purpose. And in that moment I missed him more than I ever did in those three years.

"Here you go, two servings of spicy tonkatsu ramen!" The smell of ramen brought me back to Earth and I took the chopsticks, looking at the bowl of food I had in front of me.

"Thank you for the food!" The two of us said and I sampled the noodles, but I couldn't discern if the heat was from the hotness of the soup or the spices. But when the backburn hit me I pursed my lips, feeling my cheeks flushing. No, it was definitely the spices.

Then I jumped on my chair, getting surprised by the chef and the girl leaning over the counter in front of me, patiently waiting for my reaction.

"And, is it spicy enough?" The girl asked.

"I can't take this! It's too hot!" Naruto was holding his mouth, his face completely red.

I chuckled. "This is the best spicy ramen so far." I gave my verdict.

"Yes!" The girl crossed her hands while the chef shook his head, giving a different serving to Naruto.

"I told you it will be too spicy. Ayame returned with a lot of spices from her training but she hadn't had the chance to use them yet."

Naruto was panting like a dog for a while and even I had to take a couple of breaks while eating. The broth was the spicy component, so it overpowered everything else.

As I finished the meal I felt myself getting sleepy. It was a caloric bomb, but it really hit the spot.

"Good luck with your search, Naruto. I hope you bring your friend back." I said, standing up from my chair. He quickly slurped his noodles.

"Wait, I didn't get your name." I smiled. "It's Sayomi."

"Next time we meet we'll both have found our friends." He offered me his hand with a giant smile and I felt him being sincere about it.

I was wrong. He wasn't childish for talking about his ninja way. After all, that kind of attitude kept him going, and his reserve of hope wasn't slowly draining like mine was.

Maybe the kid was better than me.

I offered him my Seal of Reconciliation, smiling as I said "Deal."

We shook on it before I waved them all goodbye, walking towards the park I was currently sitting at.

I hadn't left the village yet because of his words. How he said he has people that will help him bring that friend of his back.

So I gazed at the sky for a while, digesting my food. This time I didn't have to gather up the courage for anything. I found my resolve while eating that ramen, Naruto's words being the trigger for it. I'll go and ask the Nara clan for help. Shikaku might know where Jiraiya is, and even that will be a useful information. Sooner or later I'll have to reveal myself to them because my whole plan relied on that fact.

Maybe that was something I should have done years ago, but it was pointless to think about that now.

Deidara, I hope you haven't forgotten about your dream.

* * *

 **I'm baaack.**

 **I purposely didn't make Sayomi meet a lot of other characters during those three years. She had a run-in with Hidan and Temari (check chapter 23), and the only real interaction with someone was her talk with Jiraiya, and now with Naruto. Both of those encounters will prove to be important for her, like right now when her talk with Naruto made her collect her resolve and visit the Nara's - more about that in next chapter.**

 **Thank you for all the reviews, they not only helped me get through these finals but also made me more eager to get back to planning and writing part 2. So far I've been more or less faithful to the canon but in a couple of chapters the plot of this will shift significantly compared to canon. Which, you know, is something that was bound to happen since this is an AU and I kinda still want to see Deidara as Tsuchikage - can you believe I started this story with that in mind and we've really come far, but not anywhere near the end. Lots of chapters to come yay.**

 **Also, I promise next chapter will be longer.**

 **Thank you for reading and sticking around. :)**


	28. Part 2, Chapter 8

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 8**

 **With the Akatsuki**

"Orochimaru's been killed." Leader relayed to the astral projections of his fellow members.

Kisame chuckled first. "After leaving Akatsuki ten years ago, his death finally came to him, eh? I wanted to see how he died, and I also wanted to see how the Zombie Combo died." Zetsu was the one who reported their deaths but besides that no one really knew how they were killed, so Kisame's sense of curiosity wasn't unusual. Deidara himself wondered whether the Jashinist was really dead or just lying in pieces somewhere.

"Hidan and Kakuzu were still with us. Watch your tongue." Leader reprimanded him.

"Sorry."

"The ones who killed Kakuzu and Hidan back there were people from Konoha." Zetsu joined in. "It was Kakashi and the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's platoon." Deidara's eyes narrowed. Kyuubi's jinchuuriki kept meeting with various Akatsuki members, just not with the one who wanted to have a go with him the most; he himself. First Sasori, now Hidan and Kakuzu. It was getting ridiculous at this point.

"That platoon is strong, isn't it?" Tobi asked. "They stood up Deidara-san a number of times already too!"

"Tobi!" He barked. "Just say another word you asshole. My patience container is about to explode, un." His failure to cross paths with the Kyuubi was irritating by itself. Tobi's mocking voice was a needless provocation.

"Easy, easy, easy. If your patience container is a bag of your patience, Deidara-san, then like your bag of exploding clay, you'd just shred it to pieces immediately." He wouldn't had to if his partner didn't ask for it by running his stupid mouth.

"Seriously, you-"

"Deidara, calm down." Leader cut him off. "You'll only prove Tobi right." Deidara glanced at the Leader, wanting to say: you pair up with him next time and see how well it goes for you.

"And Tobi, you're always saying too much. You're angering your senpai." He didn't want to be a senpai to this annoying kid.

"Yes, I'm sorry!"

"How will we catch the remaining jinchuuriki like that?" Kisame asked. "Anyway, whoever killed Orochimaru must've been something else. Who was it?"

"It was Sasuke Uchiha." Great, another Uchiha.

"I was supposed to be the one to beat up Orochimaru, un." Well, Sasori was. He voiced his anger at the traitorous Orochimaru numerous times. But since Master Sasori was gone, he might as well do that in his stead.

"Impressive. Nothing less from Itachi Uchiha's little brother." Far too many Uchiha's for his taste anyway, especially now that the younger one decided to meddle so close to them.

"He's currently going around gathering companions." Zetsu seemed to have more info than he let on.

"Itachi, Kisame…he'll most likely be targeting you." Leader stopped the discussion about Sasuke's new companions. "Everyone else, remember what I've told you about Sasuke Uchiha. If they learn too much about Itachi and Kisame, they may target the Akatsuki."

"They sound like an interesting group, un." He smirked. Suigetsu Hozuki a second coming of Zabuza? Now that seemed battle worthy.

"Hang on, hang on!" Tobi spoke. "Don't you have a weird interest in them? I'd rather not get involved with them."

He didn't get a chance to answer him because the Leader already switched the topic, once again postponing Deidara's plans to go after the Kyuubi or anyone else for that matter.

"Before that, Itachi and Kisame, hurry up and bring the Yonbi here. We're going to seal him."

It seems Iwa's second jinchuuriki got captured without the Old Geezer batting an eye. Typical Onoki, forever remained a hypocrite.

Iwa shinobi were the biggest fools out of them all. They never questioned Onoki's decisions or judgement. How _some_ people managed to still live there unbothered by all of it was baffling.

And disappointing.

* * *

 **Sayomi's POV**

 **Current location: Konoha**

Before I rang the doorbell to Shikaku Nara's house I thought up at least five different scenarios. From him attacking me, calling me a liar and not believing me, hell I even prepared for tears.

But now that I looked at the situation I was in, it was something I definitely didn't prepare for. I didn't have a countermeasure for sitting opposite of Shikaku, playing shogi with him.

First I stared at their front doors for a while, trying to steady my breathing. If my glare could burn holes, the doors would have been a goner. In the end I rang the doorbell because I didn't want to be dubbed a lunatic that hesitated for ten minutes straight.

As the doorbell resonated through the yard, I looked around and at the fence surrounding Shikaku Nara's house. The Nara compound was on the edge of the village, with his house being the first one.

A woman eventually opened the door, white apron around her hips and her brown hair down in a ponytail.

"Yes?"

"Is Shikaku Nara here? I need to have a word with him." I blurted those words out as quickly as I could, which must have sounded so suspicious and anxious. She didn't notice though, just nodded and let me in the front yard.

It was a nice-looking house, the old-fashioned build with elevated foundation and sliding panels instead of walls. She motioned me to follow her and we got up on the stairs, but instead of entering the house she continued down the outer hallway, taking a right turn around the house. Their garden was perfectly up-kept but minimal, without flowers or other decorations.

Shikaku soon came into our line of view, sitting in front of the shogi board on the end of veranda. He was dressed in a green kimono, his dark brown hair in a ponytail and two scars on the right side of his face. He stared at the shogi board, hands crossed.

"Dear, you have a visitor." He looked up at me and I bowed my head slightly. I couldn't read his eyes but I did see he was observing me very closely. I watched for any signs of him moving out to attack me yet he remained sitting, soon straightening his back and rearranging the shogi board.

The woman gave me a smile before going away and he pointed at the seat in front of him, not breaking his movements over the board.

I placed my hands on my knees as I sat down, knowing I can do a seal in a fraction of a second and get away from here if things go south. Right now everything seemed fine, which wasn't completely unexpected but it was a bit suspicious.

Once he placed all the pieces on their starting positions he finally looked at me.

It was a stare down. Kind of. He looked straight into my eyes and I wasn't about to be intimidated by him so I stared back. He was Hokage's advisor, which proved his expertise. I suspected he was no joke on the battlefield either. However, I prepared myself in case he decides to attack me. I wouldn't be here if that wasn't true.

"Do you play shogi?" He asked, making a move without hearing my answer. I tried not to make a face, thinking back on all those hours I wasted watching Rin-sensei suck at shogi. I remembered the rules, though I had a feeling I didn't stand a chance against someone like him.

I humoured him, and for a while it went back and forth like that; he moving a piece and then me moving a piece. I had a vague idea of what I was doing, but I definitely wasn't playing any strategy nor did I have enough experience with the game to think up one on the spot.

He stayed silent and I thought about breaking the ice and trying to explain who I was, since I was the one who came here to talk to him. For some reason I couldn't proceed with that, and instead focused on the game. Which was weird because I never really liked shogi to begin with.

I smirked to myself once I took his knight out, recognising a strategy Masaki often used against Rin. But then he took out my general, so my gloating was short lived.

"You're a better shogi player than your mother." My hand froze halfway to the board. I looked up, finding corner of his lips curled up in a smile. "Even though there's room for improvement."

"How did you…you don't even know my name."

"Your resemblance to Shiori is uncanny. Your eyes are a darker shade of brown, but the rest is the same." I leaned away from the board, taken aback by the whole thing. I didn't think he'd be able to guess who I was without knowing anything about me.

"Now…how long have I had a niece I didn't know about?"

"Nineteen years. My parents died when I was three." I added quickly, in case he got hopeful he'll see my mother any time soon. He nodded. "How did she die? I was told Ishii of the Iwa killed her on the battlefield in the last great war."

"That's my father." He stared at me before breaking down in laughter.

"She always had unconventional ideas, but this has to be her most insane one. To fall in love with an enemy shinobi…"

He tilted his head slightly as he looked at me again, and I could tell he was actually looking through me because of the way his eyes remained unfocused. Perhaps he didn't even see me but my mother, and that thought, along with the silence that stretched, made me uncomfortable.

"What was she like, my mother?" His eyes focused on mine and I knew I brought him back to earth. "I know she fooled everyone she wasn't a kunoichi and followed my father to Iwa. Why did she do that? Just abandon her family and go with the enemy."

He sighed but I continued to talk, letting out all the unanswered questions out of my system. "All my life I thought they were killed by a band of thieves when they went to visit the native village of my mother somewhere in Land of Earth. Only later had I found out who they were and that they were last seen near Konoha. Maybe they were killed by Kyuubi, or by someone else - not like I have a way of knowing. I can't say for sure I know anything about them except their names. Both of them are complete strangers to me, so much I can't call myself neither Ishii nor Nara."

I could see in his eyes he understood how confused I was, which was true. I rarely thought about my family before learning who they really were from Onoki-sensei's scroll. After that I didn't want to think about them because on top of not remembering them in the slightest, I couldn't understand their actions or motivations.

"She was my younger sister and we grew up in the war times. She was bright and passionate, but too green. Not fit for battlefields." He shook his head. "She was a talented medic nin. Nara clan's heritage is the usage of herbs and deer antlers in medicine and remedies. She read our treasured medical encyclopaedia from cover to cover, and once she mastered the craft she was unrivaled in our entire clan. But as I said, she wasn't fit for battlefields, rarely any medic nin is. Regardless of that she was always deployed to battle. She never complained, rather told me how that experience will make her as strong as it did Tsunade-hime. That's when I got a word she'd been killed by Ishii of the Iwa."

"Why did she follow my father back to Iwa then?"

"Love makes us do crazy things. Somehow both of them abandoned that hatred we were all carrying the entire war." I pursed my lips. It wasn't the explanation I wanted, but I couldn't hope to get another. The two people who could tell me the whole story were dead. So that was that.

"You said they were last seen in a village near Konoha?" I nodded. "How do you know that?"

"My mother was a medic nin and my father was skilled in Doton and Katon. Yet I wasn't good in any of that. I almost didn't graduate the Academy because I couldn't do basic Earth clones." I smiled, fiddling with the fabric of my pants.

"So once I found a jutsu I was compatible with, Onoki-sensei launched an investigation into my heritage. An Iwa nin doing Shadow jutsu is unheard of."

"Shadow jutsu is not a kekkei genkai, but it is used only by members of the Nara clan. We took measures to limit that jutsu to these walls and we teach it in absolute secrecy." I deadpanned.

"Well, I was…inspired." I didn't have a better explanation for it.

"It seems that jutsu came natural to you." He scratched his beard before laughing again. "Shiori never used it, but it seems the Nara genes came through after all."

I nodded, feeling embarrassed. "So Onoki looked into your parents because he recognised our jutsu?"

"Yes, and didn't bother telling me about it. It was only later that I found out about them, when I broke in the forbidden section." He raised his eyebrow. "I wasn't looking for that. I didn't know it existed. I was there for a completely different reason."

"And that is?" He sounded like a parent but didn't appear angry. Just interested.

"My friend took a kinjutsu in order to advance himself. Onoki-sensei didn't take it well and threatened him with execution. So my friend left the village."

"When was that?"

"Three years ago. I left the same day." I took off my cloak, revealing him my crossed-out headband tied around my arm. His eyes narrowed at it and I sighed.

"It's not that simple."

"Rarely anything is. Good thing is that I have all the time in the world." I hesitated for a moment, thinking how he'll definitely proclaim Deidara a criminal that's beyond saving if I tell him the whole story. At the same time I knew he'll see through all my lies and half-truths, so I shouldn't even bother sugar-coating anything.

The silence prolonged and he must have realized I don't feel comfortable talking about that subject. Even though I wasn't uncomfortable, just fearful of giving him only a partial description of who Deidara was. I wanted to paint him exactly as he is, but found myself not knowing how to put it into words.

"You haven't told me your name." He said, moving a piece on the board.

"Sayomi." I didn't know which move to make. Both on the board and regarding the topic of Deidara.

"Who took care of you growing up?"

"My grandmother for some time before passing away. After that I was by myself." I let out a small chuckle almost immediately. "That's a lie. I wasn't alone for long."

And just like that the words spilled out of me. Who Deidara was and what he did. What I did afterwards and how I saw him getting tricked into joining the Akatsuki by Itachi Uchiha. I didn't tell him I infiltrated every village in my search for him, but I did tell him I spent three years tracking both Deidara and the Akatsuki down.

"Despite all of it I just can't-I can't seem to find him." I bit my lip. "He was my only family back when I thought I had no one. I can't let him be thrown out of the village like that, nor can I watch him work for an organisation he has no interest in." Shikaku kept quiet, his hands crossed.

"Seeing as he is a member of the Akatsuki, it doesn't look good for him. Every Nation is by now aware they are after the bijuu. You've said you found no evidence of him being behind anything yet, but that doesn't mean he won't be forced to make a move soon."

"I know. That's why I can't afford to lose any more time. If we find him he can give us valuable info about the Akatsuki." I didn't know that for certain, yet I was willing to promise that much in exchange for their help. For the past few weeks or so I had this nagging feeling in my stomach, telling me I'm running out of time. That was the first time in three years that I worried about such a thing. I knew the reason for that was Akatsuki making a move and everyone being high on alert and out to get them. Also how everyone seemed to cross paths with them, except me.

"And you'll use that info to bargain with the Tsuchikage?" I raised my eyebrow slightly before catching his train of thought. I nodded. "If Konoha gets their Akatsuki info from Deidara, Onoki-sensei won't be allowed to do anything to him, much less execute him."

"Ideally, but from my experience Onoki is an unmovable stone." I snorted.

"I know that better than anyone."

"So-"

"Leave Onoki-sensei to me. I have unfinished business with him. I had three years to think of what to say to him, this time he'll listen."

He looked at the board and then at me, his eyes serious. "Still I need to ask you this. What if Deidara changed sides?"

"I told you, he was tricked into joining by Itachi Uchiha. I saw it with my own eyes. I doubt he could leave Akatsuki after being drafted in like that."

"That was then. You don't know how Deidara is like now."

"Well I can't make assumptions either!" I felt bad for raising my voice like that, but I didn't want to think about all those negative outcomes. Of course it was possible that Deidara changed drastically, but I stopped speculating a long time ago, in order not to lose hope.

"I'll know for sure when I find him." I said, much calmer now. "Even if he did change sides I'll drag him back to the village regardless." He smirked.

"I'll deal with everything after I find him. That's the hard part, because I definitely didn't slack off these three years. Akatsuki was always one step ahead, but no more than that." It was one huge step, though.

"Why haven't you come here three years ago?" He switched the topic.

"I thought you'll kill me after you learn I'm an Iwa shinobi who uses your jutsu." He blinked, taken aback. "Why would you think that?"

"Well what else was I supposed to think after Onoki-sensei took all those measures to find out who I am?" He exhaled.

"I came here in the end because maybe-maybe I can't find Deidara all by myself." I tightened my fists. "Which is infuriating after all this time, but I don't really care anymore. I just want to find him already!" I closed my eyes. "If there's any way you can help me, please-"

"I'll help you." I opened my eyes. "If your search ends successfully maybe we can put a stop to the Akatsuki before things escalate. Besides…" I raised my eyebrow but he didn't finish his thought. It didn't surprise me that he voiced that as his motivation for choosing to help me. I couldn't be sure Deidara will be willing to spill out the info, or be able to; maybe Akatsuki had a way of keeping them from talking. In the end it didn't matter. I'll deal with that after I find him.

Before I could ask him how exactly will he help me, his eyes shifted to someone behind me. "Just in time, Shikamaru. Come here."

"Mom said you have a guest." He approached us and I looked up at my cousin. He looked just like Shikaku, minus the beard and the scars. Perhaps that's how I looked to Shikaku, exactly like my mother minus a couple of details.

"Shikamaru, meet Sayomi." He glanced at me. "She's your cousin from Iwa." I deadpanned.

"Right now I'm not an Iwa shinobi." I muttered.

"Technicalities." Shikamaru raised his eyebrow but sat down without much fuss. This time Shikaku did all the talking, and even though Shikamaru's eyes narrowed upon hearing I'm after a certain member of the Akatsuki, he kept quiet.

"Shouldn't you tell this to the rest of the family too?" He asked once Shikaku finished relaying my story to him. My whole life sounded a lot crazier when someone else talked about it.

"It seems I'll have to. I'll call for a meeting tomorrow morning." I tensed. "But while the information that Shiori had a child with an Iwa shinobi is something everyone should know, the fact that Sayomi is a missing nin and her friend is a member of the Akatsuki stays between us." He gave Shikamaru a look and he sighed.

"You said there's no evidence he did anything yet, but that doesn't mean he didn't help Akatsuki get a hold of other bijuu." Shikamaru looked at me. He really took a lot after his father, questioning everything no matter what.

"I know. I'm not claiming he's innocent, I'm only saying there isn't any evidence he's guilty." Shikamaru stared at me dumbfounded while Shikaku laughed. No way Deidara was innocent. I wasn't, and neither was anyone else.

"I'm not a big fan of the Akatsuki." Shikamaru muttered.

"No one is." Shikaku said and I sensed something was off, but I didn't dare ask what.

"This time it's not your fight, Shikamaru. This doesn't have anything to do with us, nor with the Akatsuki. This is an internal Iwa squabble." He gave him a look and Shikamaru sighed, moving his hands behind his head.

"So you plan to force the Third Tsuchikage to take a missing nin back into the village?"

"I plan to finish what I started three years ago. Back then he didn't listen to me talking sense, but this time he will."

"Shiori wasn't one for arguments and battles, I always thought she was too nice. She made sure to send you to prove me wrong."

"She's that girl on the black and white photo, right?" Shikaku nodded, smiling slightly.

"It's such a shame. You two could have practiced your Shadow jutsu together all this time." He looked at the two of us and I felt so out of place. I didn't expect them to be so welcoming to me I guess.

"She would have doted all over you, Shikamaru."

"Sounds like a drag."

Shikaku continued to look at us, a certain wave of nostalgia washing over his face. "Really little sister…" He shook his head.

"Iwa out of all places." Shikamaru added.

"I wonder what your father was like."

"As far as I know he was jonin captain of Second Iwa Division." I shrugged. Shikaku then stood up.

"I'll call others for a little family meeting tomorrow." Floorboards creaked as he walked away.

"Must we really do this?" I muttered. "This is so strange to me."

"How much do you know about the Akatsuki?" Shikamaru leaned forward and my eyes narrowed at his tone.

"I know four members." He raised his eyebrow. "Deidara, Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Sasori of the Red Sand."

"Sasori's been killed."

"By Konoha shinobi, I know."

"I can give you names of two more members. Hidan and Kakuzu. Hidan was a Yugakure shinobi, and Kakuzu was a Takiagakure one." I couldn't be sure whether I saw their names in archives at some point.

"You came in contact with them?" I asked, Kakuzu's name resonating in the back of my brain. Maybe I really did see his name before.

"They killed my sensei." So that was the catch. That's why Shikaku stopped him before he could showcase his distaste for my whole situation.

"We took them out though."

"That's impressive." He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I have a feeling you're not lying about Itachi being behind your friend's involvement with the Akatsuki. But if he attacks a single Konoha shinobi, we won't let him get away with it."

"So only if it's a Konoha shinobi?" He frowned and the corner of my lips curled up. "If there's anyone who'll fight Deidara if need be, it'll be me. And I'm saying this not because I think I can beat him, but because I won't let anyone else do it." He continued to observe me.

"The sooner I find Deidara, the sooner we'll be able to make a move against the Akatsuki and stop whatever it is that they're doing. And if things escalate, I'll take him out." I finished.

"Fine, you've convinced me. I can agree on that."

"You want to shake on it?" I offered him my Seal of Reconciliation.

"I haven't done that in years." He eyed my fingers and I smiled. "It's an Iwa thing." But we shook on it.

"Truce then?" I asked.

"Truce, cousin."

* * *

 **I think this went well. I couldn't do a big shocking revelation because I don't feel it very Nara.**

 **As for Sayomi, she's tip-toeing around all the big plans she has in her head, sort of weighing each of them against each other and trying to decide which one to use when the time comes. She's mostly doing that because she doesn't know when she'll finally find Deidara and how will that play out - so it may seem she doesn't know what she's doing, which is wrong. She knows what she is doing right now, she's just not sure what she will do in the future.**

 **Review pretty please and thank y'all for reading. See ya next week!**


	29. Part 2, Chapter 9

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Sayomi's POV**

After making a big step yesterday and paying a visit to my uncle and his family, I had no other choice but to stay on dinner and in one of the guest rooms in the house. That talk with Shikaku and then with Shikamaru stretched on for hours, and once the colour of the sky changed from blue to orange and then to black, his wife summoned them to dinner.

Then they had to explain to Yoshino who I was, and she immediately made sure to stuff me up with food before showing me a guest room I'll be staying at. She was very polite and nice, making me feel even more embarrassed and imposing than I already was. They treated me like a part of the family; talking about my mother, about the rest of the family, about Shikamaru and his feats. They tried to make me feel welcomed and I guess loved, in a way. I tried to relax too, but it was hard to get used to something like that so soon. I never had a family in this sense, and this new feeling was strange to say the least. Also, after three years I got used to being by myself, and any sort of social interaction was for the sake of getting info. So once or twice during the dinner I found myself listening very closely to what they were saying, as if I'm not actually a part of the conversation but out of it, eavesdropping for the info.

There were many habits I needed to break and many feelings and thoughts I needed to process and get used to.

Next morning I woke up to a sound of birds chirping. I sat up, looking at sun rays falling on tatami floor and painted deer and does on sliding walls of my room. The artwork was pretty but why deer, I didn't know.

Once I exited my room I noticed it was fairly early in the morning, sun rays making little rainbows upon reaching morning dew on grass. I went to the kitchen to check whether anyone's awake. It wasn't like me to wake up so early, nor have problems falling asleep which I also experienced tonight. My sleep pattern was pretty irregular to begin with, yet tonight I truly had hard time falling asleep. I laid in my bed, tired but wide awake, staring at a small portion of night sky visible through my window. Maybe it was because I didn't relax completely, or because I wanted to know what our next step is. Shikaku said he'll think about a way to find Deidara, even though I told him we can ask Jiraiya about that. So I was really curious if he came up with something more efficient.

Yoshino was awake making breakfast, so I came inside, asking if she needs any help.

"Oh no, I'm fine. Are you hungry?" I sat down, thinking how serene everything is. Is this how it would be for me had I stayed in Iwa? Quiet mornings making breakfast, training, doing village stuff. Long ago my days really did look like that.

Not completely though. Sometimes I'd be woken up by an explosion.

I smiled, resting my chin on my hand.

"I wish Shikamaru would wake up as early as you." She sighed. "As a jonin he should be more eager to help."

"Where's Shikaku?" I asked.

"He went somewhere before the sunset." She waved her hand. "Probably to prepare for the clan's meeting."

Great. It took my all to even meet with my uncle. Why did I have to meet the rest of the family was beyond me.

"Shikamaru!" Yoshino let out a blood-curling scream out of nowhere, completely freaking me out.

"Shikamaru! Breakfast!" She left the kitchen and I went to the living room, wanting to take one more look at the photo of my mother.

It was a black and white photo of young Shikaku and my mother. He said it was around the time she became chuunin. She was younger than I currently was on that photo, but he was right when he said I looked a lot like her. Since the photo was black and white I had to take their word for it that she had dark brown hair just like me, even though her eyes were light brown, almost hazel as Shikaku described. Mines weren't, but I believed she was my mother because of the way her hair looked. Short and ruffled on the edges, coming a bit below her chin.

A long time ago I could conjure up my parents' faces yet over time they escaped me completely. Seeing how my mother looked like as a teenager was slightly comforting, but her behaviour still confused me. Why did she go so far for my father? Was she so smitten by him?

I really tried to let go of those questions since they were pointless. I didn't think much about her before I came here, so this really showed how this whole family thing messed with my head. I was hit with too many feelings at once which only made me question everything and feel confused. I ate all my meals alone for three years. Now I was asking my aunt whether she needs help in the kitchen. I think the best description of my current mood would be; I was annoyed at myself because I couldn't process all of this as quickly as I wanted to. I wanted to feel normal, like all of this is normal. Nothing did feel like that right now and I didn't like that.

Shikamaru finally woke up so we had breakfast. He kept yawning all-throughout, which was mildly entertaining, while Yoshino kept nagging him about all kinds of things. After that he said we should head to the meeting, only to lead me to a forest outside of the village.

"Why do you hold your meetings in the forest?" It was in Konoha's close proximity, but still half an hour away. It better be some special forest for dragging me all the way there.

"You'll see." He kept walking ahead, hands in his pockets. I had no other choice but to follow. I did see a slight change in our surroundings eventually. We were walking down a different forest than before, with the biggest clue being how tall the trees suddenly became. They let out only small amounts of sunlight, so the forest floor was entirely covered in shadows and occasional wildflowers.

Fifteen minutes later we entered a clearing, Shikaku immediately appearing in our line of view. He was standing at the front with a full grown deer by his side, ten more people in a half-circle behind him. The six men all wore their hair in same fashion like Shikaku and Shikamaru, while the women were all brown-haired and brown-eyed. Behind them were more deer and does, but no one batted an eye at their presence. I carefully observed everyone, feeling their eyes on me just the same.

That's when the deer with the biggest antlers decided to approach me. He circled around me, which was slightly unnerving, only to stop next to me and lower his head. I shifted my eyes from the deer, looking at Shikaku with my eyebrows raised.

"What does he want?"

"For you to pet him." He was smiling and I deadpanned.

"To pet him? He's a deer." The deer looked at me as if he got offended so I quickly put my hand on his head, thinking how there's no way anyone will believe me this. Konoha and its people were so strange. It was my fourth day here, but it escalated from breaking into their offices to petting a deer.

"Well, she's a Nara alright. I didn't give her permission to enter the forest." Shikamaru said and the rest of the clearing nodded.

"Huh?" I didn't get what was going on. I couldn't ask him what he meant by that because the rest of the deer and does came forward, sniffing me and offering me their heads.

"I don't have that many arms." I muttered, surrounded by the animals.

"This forest belongs to the Nara clan and we tend to the deer that live in it." So that's why the whole house had paintings of deer and does.

"They don't let anyone who isn't a Nara in it. Unless someone of Nara blood gives permission to the third party." Great, the whole purpose of the meeting was to test me in case I was lying. I couldn't really be mad on them because it was the smart thing to do, but a tiny bit of me felt offended.

"So you're saying she's Shiori's daughter?" One of the women asked and Shikaku nodded.

"An Iwa shinobi that's part Nara. Shikaku, you can't seriously let her leave the village." I looked up at the man who was saying that.

"You can't let her go back to Iwa. If a war breaks out she'd be able to sneak people in this forest. Not only that but they'd be completely briefed about our jutsu."

"I agree with Suzaku." Another man spoke, green markings under his eyes. "I'm sorry Sayomi, but we have to keep our village's priorities first. Right now you're a potential weak point of our village's defenses. We cannot let you leave."

"Konoha is a better place to live than Iwa anyway. You can be a Konoha shinobi instead." Women nodded in unison.

At first I was confused. They were actually serious about all this.

Shikaku and Shikamaru kept quiet and I smirked, suddenly feeling amused at their words. Despite wearing a crossed out Iwa headband, my past in Iwa couldn't be erased. Right now my Iwa pride was acting up, telling me they are not taking me seriously, neither as a kunoichi nor an Iwa shinobi. I couldn't let them keep doing so.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah sure, I'll stay in Konoha. But only if you make me." The deer got my memo before anyone else did, and they immediately retreated back into the forest.

"What are you saying?" One of the women asked me.

"I'm saying that I'll stay in Konoha if one of you defeats me with your Shadow jutsu. It's used for immobilizing people, right? Use it to trap me in Konoha." They shared a look amongst themselves and Shikaku followed the animals, leaning on the tree on the edge of the clearing.

"Ensui, either you or Suzaku do it. You two have the most battle experience, not counting Shikaku who decided not to meddle in this." The woman glared at Shikaku but he ignored her.

"Maen is a tokubetsu jonin, maybe he should do it." One man said and I noticed a look he gave to Suzaku.

"I'll do it." Ensui volunteered but everyone else shifted too. This wasn't a smart move. I didn't know what kind of techniques they had, and they might as well have something in their arsenal that I don't. Shadow jutsu was their specialty, taught in secrecy. I couldn't have come up with everything they amassed in generations. But hell, my wounded pride made me feel confident in my abilities, so I didn't flinch as half of the clan silently made a plan to attack me.

In a second all of them made a rat seal. They merged their shadows like three branches, their giant shadow fast approaching me. My body responded instinctively, quickly making a Seal of Confrontation and teleporting behind them, hiding in the shadows of trees around me.

They stopped, standing still and looking around.

"Where did she go?" Ensui asked and I put my hands in a rat seal, splitting my shadow into pieces, just like they did, trapping all of them simultaneously.

"Wait, I can't move!" One of the women spoke.

"That's enough." Shikaku clapped two times and I smirked, releasing them from my shadow. They all turned as I stepped back on the clearing, some of them angry, some of them disappointed.

"What kind of Shadow jutsu are you using?" Shikamaru asked and I raised my brow.

"You were on the other end of a clearing in a fraction of a second."

"I used my Shadow Teleportation." I thought that was obvious until I remembered that maybe they don't know that jutsu under the same name.

"Maybe you call it differently-"

"We don't have that kind of jutsu." Ensui cut me off. "Shadow Teleportation, you say?" Shikaku scratched his beard.

"I guess it's kind of like space-time ninjutsu." I thought back on the Second Hokage. "You've never seen it before?" They shook their heads, so I gave them a brief explanation of it. On top of not hearing about it, they were unable to execute it. I suspected that had something to do with my unusual chakra, but I didn't bother going into detail about it.

It'd be a lie to say I didn't feel like gloating upon learning I surpassed their abilities with Shadow jutsu a long time ago.

"This is even more of a reason to not let her leave Konoha." Suzaku turned to Shikaku.

"She defeated all of you, so what makes you think I can stop her from leaving?" Shikaku fired back while the rest of the clan shared a look between themselves. It was as if I wasn't even there.

"Lady Tsunade could stop her."

"She'll just teleport out of here anyway." Shikamaru muttered.

"Nara clan has to stay united, she-"

"I am not a Nara." I said, and even without yelling my statement resonated through the clearing. They looked at me, confused at my words, while I felt a certain weight in my stomach.

"You use Nara clan's jutsu." I tightened my fist.

"I learned it all by myself so I don't have any reason to call it _your_ jutsu." I was slowly getting pissed off. "I'm not a little kid you can just keep in village because you think that's what should be done. I don't feel like a Nara, so don't call me that." They looked away, women muttering something to one another before Shikaku interrupted them.

"Shikamaru, Sayomi, can you two leave us for a bit?" Shikamaru exhaled but motioned at me to follow him into the forest. I gave one last glare to the rest of the Nara clan silently judging me before following him. They were really going on my nerves. I didn't come here to take my place in the family, I came to get their help. Not even theirs for that matter, but Shikaku's.

"You sure left an impression." Shikamaru muttered once we were far enough from the clearing. I frowned. I knew I did, but I couldn't stay quiet about it.

"Whatever."

"So what's your plan?"

"Depends on what your dad decides to do. Maybe I go and find Jiraiya." I muttered the last part.

"Not much of a plan."

"I've been winging it for a while now. Tracking such an ambiguous organisation is difficult and I'm not a creative person." Turns out I'm not a lucky person either.

I was frustrated and the reason for that was Akatsuki making a move and its members battling and losing against other Nations. Things escalated and there was still no sign of Deidara. In three years I never thought I was unsuccessful in tracking the Akatsuki. I knew four of its members, pinpointed possible locations of their hideouts, and I really kept my eyes peeled for them. So whenever my mind told me I could be doing more, I'd just say to myself it's only a matter of time.

The problem was that I didn't have anymore time. Nor a plan. And that's why I was here right now - to get help. My wish to find Deidara finally won over my fear of meeting my family. I wasn't afraid any more, not even to get in a fight with them.

"You said you know Itachi Uchiha is their member." Shikamaru snapped me away from my thoughts. "Do you have any idea where he might be?" I deadpanned.

"Then I would know where Deidara is too, and I don't. So no."

"The Fifth is sending two teams after him."

"I thought Akatsuki was your priority. Why send two teams after him specifically?" I furrowed my brows.

"He's Sasuke Uchiha's older brother." That info meant absolutely nothing to me and he saw it in my expression.

"He's our friend that left the village to seek revenge at Itachi. We want to bring him back to the village, so finding Itachi will lead us to Sasuke."

"So Sasuke's a missing nin? I didn't see him in your Bingo Book." He raised his eyebrow. "He's not in there."

"What's his deal with Itachi anyway? Is he pissed his older brother is a member of the Akatsuki?"

"His older brother slaughtered their entire clan." I made a face. Okay, that was a proper reason to become a missing nin. Unlike stealing a kinjutsu.

"Why now? Do you know where he might be?"

"We have reason to believe he's in Land of Fire right now. The two teams have a few members with expertise in tracking. The Fifth thinks they will be lucky."

"Maybe I should have gone with them. Itachi might know where Deidara is."

"I don't think there will be any need for that." We made a half-circle, slowly going back to the clearing. I noticed the deer right away.

"Why not?" I raised my brow.

"If you think we asked you to come here only to check whether or not you're Nara, you've misunderstood. Dad's sorted out everything." We came back just in time to catch everyone leaving the clearing. Those who weren't wearing their flak jackets had Nara clan's seal on their backs. Shikaku wore it too on his kimono yesterday.

We came closer to Shikaku who stayed behind, his hands crossed and his face calm.

"So?" Shikamaru asked.

"They're not happy." He said before shrugging and then calling the deer closer. I guess he won't comment on my words from before.

The deer approached us, the head deer offering me his head again.

"I explained them your predicament." Shikaku petted the deer next to him.

"You said my search for Deidara isn't something the rest of the family should know." I glared at him but he shook his head.

"The deer, Sayomi."

"What?"

"Well who else knows the forest better than the deer?"

"Birds." I shot back and Shikamaru snickered. Shikaku sighed. "Animals communicate with each other. Deer took a liking to you, so they've agreed to help you in your search."

"Really?" I wasn't convinced, but then the head deer stomped his hoof on the ground and I raised my eyebrow.

"Give them your best description of Deidara, and if he's in Land of Fire they'll let you know." He signaled to Shikamaru and they began walking back to the village.

"Make sure you come back in time for lunch. Yoshino's making a feast." They left me alone with the stags and I looked at the herd around me. The animals were calm and expecting, intelligence shining through their eyes.

I petted the deer next to me, looking at the treetops above me.

"Uhm…he's probably wearing a cloak, a black cloak with red clouds on it. As for his looks, he has blond hair, very long blond hair. Blue eyes. Mouths on his palms." I showed them my palm. "He's using explosives in shape of animals. He has a peculiar way of talking and-" I stopped, giving the deer a faint smile.

"That's maybe too much detail. I'd be really great if you can find him." I sure hope he didn't cut his hair or else the description won't match.

A couple of deer stomped with their hooves, dispersing in the forest. I didn't feel particularly hopeful the whole thing will work. The more I wait, the more the chance that Deidara gets in trouble. If Shikamaru and his team managed to take down two Akatsuki members, granted they were no joke either, maybe a well-versed team could do the same to Deidara.

Or more likely, Deidara will easily defeat them and place a target on himself. I can maybe take out the majority of the Nara clan, but I can't take out the entirety of Konoha.

Also…who knows what else comes to surface. Right now I had no evidence Deidara did anything damning, but all three of us knew that couldn't be the case. Shikaku and Shikamaru just couldn't prove it. And I didn't want to mention that I suspected Deidara was behind that explosion in Suna, which subsequently meant he had his hands in Kazekage's kidnapping.

I didn't care, but if other things come to light I may lose Nara clan's help.

Why did Akatsuki have to go after the bijuu? Villages would rage wars over them, so what made them think they can just go and take them without much fuss.

Then again, they did kidnap Kazekage right under everyone's nose. Sasori was defeated, but the Ichibi was never recovered as far as I know.

First things first. I have to think of a plan B in case the fricking deer don't find Deidara. I have to step up my game.

Deidara, maybe you should look for me for a change.

* * *

 **I just think this idea to use the deer is fun. They won't help anyone else except the Nara, but also they have to want to help, which doesn't always have to be the case. In short, animals in Naruto are not what they seem to be, so I made them smarter and more helpful here.**

 **Btw I always thought plural of deer is deers so even though now I know plural of deer is deer my brain tells me that's wrong so reading this was weird as hell, I hope I didn't screw it up.  
**

 **And y'all better start reviewing.**

 **Thanks for reading :)**


	30. Part 2, Chapter 10

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Shikaku was slightly wary of me for the whole morning. Not once did I bring up the deer and how it's been a day already since I gave them my description of Deidara. I didn't want to say to him how part of me didn't want to jinx myself by asking that, and the other part of me was still not convinced the deer will have any luck. They weren't tracking animals.

Also, I wasn't sure Deidara was in Land of Fire to begin with. He could be anywhere.

Why I was calm despite everything had to do with the fact that I came up with a plan B should the deer thing fail. Without thinking up of something else I wouldn't have been able to fall asleep. Basically, I thought back on the two teams Fifth sent to track Itachi. Shikamaru said they moved out this morning, but he also said they have reason to believe Itachi may be in Land of Fire right now. If the deer don't find Deidara, I'll send them after Itachi and then find Deidara through him.

Or, which was also likely, I'll go after Itachi myself. I haven't been doing much these past few days and even though I accomplished a lot since I met my family and survived all that, I hadn't physically moved anywhere in my search for Deidara. So, this was also an option.

My morning was peaceful. After breakfast both Shikamaru and Shikaku went to their assignments and posts, even Yoshino left to run a couple of errands in the village. Thankfully, Shikaku left me the clan's medical encyclopaedia to busy myself with reading. I thought I'll be meditating until they get back but as hours ticked by I gave up on that idea.

The encyclopaedia was huge. The front cover had a kanji for deer while the back had the clan's seal. It was filled with information on all sorts of medical herbs, then with recipes for various remedies and methods of preparation. Couple of pages in though, I had to come to terms that I had no expertise in medicine and therefore couldn't understand complicated remedies written inside.

So I busied myself with reading Shikaku's book about shogi instead, cursing Rin-sensei for getting me involved with that game in the first place.

Yoshino returned later in the morning and Shikaku not long after her, telling me Yoshino cooked way more than she did usually all because of my arrival. While we waited for lunch he sat down to explain me a few of the more interesting strategies in shogi. I guess the game wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

During our game I also decided to go and search for Jiraiya after lunch. Whatever info he has about the Akatsuki shouldn't be overlooked. He may or may not help me in my search and it'd be stupid of me to not take that into consideration.

Our peaceful game was interrupted with a knocking sound coming from the other side of the fence. Shikaku raised his eyebrow, looking at the fence on his left. I pursed my lips, not moving my eyes from the board and trying to think of a move that won't leave me vulnerable to Shikaku's attack when he spoke: "What is making that sound?"

A sound of wood breaking stirred me away and towards the fence, particularly at a newly formed hole in one of the boards, a hoof kicking it through.

Shikaku and me both jumped up, going towards the fence. I had to stand on my tiptoes to look over it, seeing the source of this noise was a deer. Once he saw me, he took his hoof out of the hole.

"Do you think he…?" I looked at Shikaku and he nodded. I felt myself getting excited, every atom in my body ready to move out.

"Go." I jumped over the fence and the deer shook his head, going back where he came from. I gave a quick glance to Shikaku before leaving after the deer. The last thing I heard was Yoshino's faint "Shikaku, why is there a hole in the fence?"

After a few minutes I noticed the deer was running in the direction of the clan's forest, and that he seemed very tired. I pressed my lips together, picking up my speed in order to come closer to him. Then I put my hand on his neck, making a seal and visualizing the clearing from yesterday.

I've never teleported an animal before but it had no reason to fail. We came out on the clearing and the deer stopped running, looking as if he'll collapse any moment now.

Stomping from the other side of the clearing made me turn around. The deer looking at me was, I suspected, the head deer. He approached me first yesterday, and had the biggest antlers out of them all. He shook his head and started to run.

So I followed. I had no idea what I was doing, but all these little signals the deer were giving me translated to 'follow me'. I was just glad I cut some time.

"So you did find him!" I yelled at the deer running ahead of me, a giant grin spreading across my face. My whole body was practically shaking from excitement, feeling myself burning with energy. The mere thought that my search might not only finish today, but right now, gave my feet extra wind. I could run into Deidara any second now.

What do I say to him? What do I do?

I laughed out loud. I have no idea what I'll do. When I see him for myself, I'll know.

The deer took a turn and I did so too, trying to keep my composure. Who knows what Deidara is like and if he's even alone. I might get attacked. Konoha shinobi were in these woods as well, so just because I was running after a deer did not mean I can lower my defenses.

I quickened my pace so I was an arm length away from the deer. In case anything happens I'll teleport us both away from danger. I can't risk him getting harmed in any way since he was the one who knew where to go. A deer was the sole holder of info I kept searching for years now. Life really had a way of messing with my head.

Not long after and we exited the Nara clan's forest. It was pretty obvious by the change in the trees and the amount of sunlight that made its way to the ground. I looked up for a brief second, seeing the clear sky above us. The timing of this whole thing wasn't ideal, since it was near noon, but hell I wasn't about to complain about it. Whoever decides to attack me right now will regret it.

After twenty minutes of running I was actually quite impressed. Both how the deer didn't seem to get tired or lose focus and by the fact that he even managed to pinpoint Deidara. Land of Fire was huge and right now we were perhaps an hour away from Konoha. The clearing we teleported to was half an hour away and we've been running for almost another half an hour. How did the deer even know where he was going was beyond me but I trusted him more than I thought I will. Shikaku's bizarre idea to use deer to help me actually worked.

I mean, I'll know if it worked if I find Deidara, but right now I was certain it was only a matter of time before I bump into him. All the hope I had was powering me right now. If this proves to be a bust I don't know what I'll do. Especially after I've come this far.

Here and there I would look up at the sky just in case he could be flying on his clay bird, but the sky remained as clear as ever. Except on one occasion when I looked up and saw a whole flock of birds flying away as if in a hurry. My eyes narrowed, knowing they could have been scared away by Deidara's explosions.

As I brought my stare down I realized the deer stopped running. His head was raised high, ears perked and nostrils wide. I glanced up at the birds, suspecting he might have been confused by so many of them flying away.

"Just some birds." I waved my hand, catching my breath. Yet, the deer didn't move. I waited for a minute before growing impatient and coming closer to him.

"You were going that way, right?" I pointed ahead of him, part of me thinking I'm crazy for talking to him as if he could understand me. Though, so far it didn't seem impossible.

He stomped his hoof and I took that as a yes, going in front of him. I made a couple of steps only to hear him running. I smiled, seeing everything was back to normal. He probably just needed to rest for a minute.

I turned a bit to let him go in front of me, but my smile was wiped clean off my face as I looked at the deer running towards me, his head lowered and antlers ready to attack me.

Shit!

I did a seal in a split second, but my shadow moved slower than usual. I gritted my teeth, knowing the cause of it was direct sunlight and subsequently a lack of shadows. That loss of speed affected me too, because before I could enter my shadow completely, the deer managed to pin my cloak with his antlers to the tree behind me. The cloak remained on my old spot while I fell out of my shadow behind his back, gasping as I put my hand over my throat. Him pinning my cloak to the tree couldn't stop me from transitioning so he ripped the cloak to shreds. It pulled on my neck as it happened, the forcefulness of it nearly choking me.

"What the hell?" I yelled between coughs and the deer shook his head, a smaller piece of black cloth hanging around his antlers. I stood up, raising my hands.

"Easy…" I tried. "What's the matter with you?" The deer stomped his hoof, lowering his head again and charging at me.

For crying out loud I can't fight a deer!

I put my hands in a rat seal, stopping him in his tracks. He stared at me as if he's angry and I glared back. "That's enough! You've brought me this far so you better lead me to him."

Maybe he didn't want to proceed, or maybe that was a wrong path. Still not a reason to attack me. I took a deep breath, undoing the seal. He didn't move and I pointed my finger behind me. "Is Deidara there?"

Nothing. I pointed to my right and then behind him. Still nothing. But as I pointed to my left he charged at me again, faster than he did before.

I jumped up in a nick of time but he raised his head and kicked my foot with his antlers. I fell in a bush and he bit my pants, pulling me back to where we came from.

"What are you doing you stupid deer?" I didn't want to hit him but I was reaching my limit. My fall into the bush ripped my gloves and I saw tiny blood drops appearing. Had not been for this sunlight I could have avoided that fall altogether.

The deer continued to drag me across the ground so I did a seal, sinking in my shadow.

I exited a bit away from him, sitting on the ground and gritting my teeth. He really didn't like it when I went a certain direction, which meant something was there.

Good or bad, I couldn't tell. What I could tell is that I won't be stopped by a deer.

I stood up, slowly going closer to him. I pointed at my left again. "Is Deidara there?" He looked at the sky above us and I waited, biting my lip. Then he stomped his hoof and turned around, walking back to where we came from.

I threw my hands in the air, wishing that deer was a real person so I can kick his ass for whatever just happened. I watched him go to make sure he won't try and attack me again. Once he escaped my line of vision I went on ahead, running as fast as I could. I wasted too much time on his outburst.

Five minutes later I heard it. Someone yelling. Then I saw it. Long blond hair spread over the back of a person sitting on the ground. My eyes widened and I made a few more steps before I stopped, my knees burying in the ground by the force of my halt. I made my rat seal, trapping who I thought was Deidara.

Only when I was sure my shadow met its mark I let myself take another look at the situation. Half of his long blond hair was up in a ponytail, the rest of it draping over his sleeveless blue shirt. Even from afar I could see blood over his bruised arms.

"You're even deactivating your Sharingan? How much are you really underestimating me, un?" I managed to calm down my breathing, the voice confirming me that really was Deidara. Why I stayed quiet despite my enormous happiness was because I figured he wasn't alone. Someone else was on the ground in front of him, someone with black hair and for some reason without a shirt.

I could have extended my shadow and trapped that person just the same, but I decided against it. I didn't want to make a move that could be interpreted as an attack. So I waited, assessing the situation.

"What? Why can't I-" Deidara noticed the effect of my Shadow Bind, making his opponent look at me with his eyes narrowed.

"Are you one of the Akatsuki too?" He looked very familiar. Not in a sense that I've seen him before because I really haven't, but in a sense that I saw someone else who looked just like him.

I bit my lip, deciding to risk it. As far as the intel goes it wasn't impossible.

"You look a lot like Itachi but you aren't him, right?" The look on his face told me he didn't like the comparison. "So are you…Sasuke?" The way sun was hitting his face made it seem as if his eyes changed colour.

"Do you know where Itachi is?" I guess he really was Sasuke. Shikamaru said he left the village with Orochimaru to search for his brother, and they wanted to bring him back.

I took another look at him. He was bruised as much as Deidara was, so I had to conclude the two had a clash. I didn't care about that part, I just needed him out of the picture.

"No, what I do know is that there are two platoons of Konoha shinobi searching for both him and you in these parts." He extended his arm, lightning bursting from his hand. Before I had a chance to blink he was in front of me, pushing that lightning into my stomach.

I gasped for air as lightning cut through my shirt, the sound of sizzling flesh mixing with the sound of a thousand birds trapped within his jutsu. My scream of pain was cut off by his: "Where are the two platoons?" His eyes were red and unbothered by the burning pain I was feeling. The blood soaked my shirt in record speed as my breathing became ragged. The pain was unlike anything I've ever felt before, shocking and cutting through.

I glanced at Deidara behind him, frozen by my jutsu. His image got blurred by the tears that welled up in my eyes and I gripped my fingers tighter, not intent on letting him leave.

"Not far away. The teams are made up of-" I winced, slowly leaning to the right and bringing my hands closer. "Of tracking experts. They are convinced Itachi is in Land of Fire and they're set on finding him."

"You're not lying." He moved his hand away as the lightning ceased, standing up. I spit out some blood on the ground. "Why would I be lying? I don't care about either of you." The pain was becoming greater by each second and I could not take a deep breath anymore, just short and small ones. I tried not to think how true it was when Deidara said that there isn't a single Iwa shinobi that doesn't hate Raiton.

He kept looking at me, standing there indifferent like that, while I was trying my hardest to even keep myself sitting. Talk about trying to keep myself from screaming because the pain was unbearable. But I didn't. I kept my fingers in my seal, looking up at him with pain etched on my face but my eyes narrowed and threatening.

"If you don't leave Deidara where he is I swear I'll-I'll…" Everything around me began to spin and I couldn't make any more words come out of my mouth. I felt my consciousness slipping away and I tightened the grip on my fingers, falling down on the ground as everything spiraled into black.

* * *

 **So it's THE chapter; Sayomi finally found Deidara. Okay, maybe not the real THE chapter since they don't interact much here, but this marks a significant shift in the story, because from here on out it's all me combining my AU with the canon story-line. It's going to be tough to keep track of the canon and how these two fall into it, work on the thing between them and make sure the pace is fine. I'm just really excited about future chapters and I hope you will find them as fun as I did while writing/rereading them, also that everything till now was interesting to you guys.**

 **I really wanna know what you think about Sayomi meeting the Nara clan, about this chapter, about your predictions for future chapters. How do you think Deidara will react? Will Sayomi be fine? Man I'm so excited.**

 **Thank you for reading and it'd be dope if you leave a review. :)**


	31. Part 2, Chapter 11

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 11**

Sasuke's unemotional face was pissing Deidara off for quite some time now. But when he decided to add an insult further by deactivating his Sharingan, last bit of Deidara's self-control perished.

"You're even deactivating your Sharingan? How much are you really underestimating me, un?" As far as the battle went, it was a draw. He wasn't about to leave it at that though. He'll wipe that cool expression off of that bastard's face if it's the last thing he does.

He reached for his shirt, deciding to go all out with his C0. An Uchiha defeated him once, but he'd rather die than watch this one do the same. His art was overlooked by those atrocious eyes, he himself was ignored because the brat only wanted to know where Itachi was, and not even a slight feeling of admiration or fear made it into Sasuke's features. He got him with his C4, and fooled him more than once with his clay clones, yet he still acted as if it was normal he survived all that, when really it was just immense luck.

Now he'd had enough. The spite was far too great. He'll blow everything up but he _will_ get him.

Yet his hand didn't move an inch.

"What? Why can't I-" He tried again, still there wasn't a single part of his body that could move except his mouth and eyes.

His eyes widened as shock went through his body.

No. It couldn't be that…it couldn't be _that_ jutsu.

His fear was confirmed when Sasuke's eyes focused on someone behind him.

"Are you one of the Akatsuki too?" He asked and to Deidara it felt as if the moment stretched for hours. Sasuke couldn't have frozen him in place like that, so if the voice was-

"You look a lot like Itachi but you aren't him, right?" It sounded like her, but it couldn't have actually been her. She's miles away, in Iwa. Not trapping him with her Shadow Bind right here and now.

"So are you…Sasuke?" Bastard turned his Sharingan on again. He can't possibly think of fighting her. No, maybe she could defeat him in such a state. He's too beaten up to even keep his Chidori charged.

"Do you know where Itachi is?" Sasuke asked, and Deidara wanted to skin him alive for only moaning about Itachi the entire time. It made him sick to his stomach.

"No, but what I do know is that there are two platoons of Konoha shinobi searching for both him and you in these parts." Sasuke remained motionless for a moment, only furrowing his brows as he barely stood up. He hung his arm around the tree, drawing a breath, before he made three more steps towards the clearing ahead; their former battlefield.

Why was she letting him leave? What was going on?

He tried his hardest to break free of the jutsu he suspected was behind this, but he couldn't. She was preventing him from dealing Sasuke a final blow, and he only kept getting farther away, slowly but surely.

"Oi, let me out of it!" Nothing.

Then he heard it, the softest _thump._ He felt rage bubbling inside him. Asshole caught her in genjutsu, that had to be it.

If she really was in genjutsu how the hell did she keep her technique going? He struggled as hard as he could, in vain.

Sasuke collapsed once he reached the clearing and Deidara stopped, following his every move. The man propped himself up with a shaky hand, bringing his other hand to his face. A moment later a cloud of smoke revealed a giant snake – his summoning animal.

He won't let him get away, not without having a final word in this fight.

With all the strength and power of will he could conjure up, Deidara raised his hand off the ground, bringing it to his pouch. As soon as he heard the hand-mouth chewing the clay he smirked. C0 was off the table right now, both because he was trapped and because he didn't know who exactly trapped him. For some reason Sasuke chose to leave him alone, but his pride wouldn't let him do the same. He'll blow up something – Sasuke or the giant snake, at this point it was irrelevant.

Anger for Sharingan beating his C4 was still ever present in his body. The kid was lucky to be wielding Raiton, because he would have gotten him the second time with his C4, at point blank more so. He despised those eyes, more than anything ever. Sasuke's cool and expressionless attitude only fueled his fire. If he had shown awe only once he would have left him alone.

Maybe.

Sasuke did something to that giant snake because it opened his mouth and let him crawl inside. Just in time too. His explosive was ready. He couldn't raise his hand anymore, he blew his all on bringing his hand to the pouch, so the hand-mouth did all the work this time. It spit out a centipede which quickly reached the clearing and wrapped itself around the snake's head, just as Sasuke got inside its mouth. Deidara now only had to force his fingers into a seal, and he only managed to do so because there wasn't much movement he had to force.

The explosion happened but Sasuke and his snake disappeared in a cloud of smoke before he could confirm a kill. He was still very much angry the whole thing played out like it did, but right now he was more interested in the person trapping him than in Sasuke's obnoxious face.

He tried to move everything else except his fingers only to accept that he was still rendered motionless by the jutsu. He knew her jutsu had a time limit so he'll just have to wait a bit. How she kept the jutsu running while trapped in genjutsu was impressive, he had to admit.

If that even was her. The fact that he couldn't confirm who he thought that was only pissed him off further. Why would she be here? She had no reason to be. How did she find him in the first place?

Minutes ticked by and at one point he began to ask himself what will happen if that Konoha platoon she mentioned arrives. He wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak, but his headband was crossed out. He had little to none clay left, his chakra reserve was near zero, and his legs and arms were all wrecked. It didn't look good for him if any sort of fight breaks out.

He can't even do his C0 now that she's here. _If_ that was her. Also, how was she not hit by his first C4 if she was in close proximity?

His patience was running low as the minutes stretched. How much longer can she hold that jutsu?

He decided to force his hand to move once again, only to lose balance when he lifted it off the ground so hastily. Finally the jutsu had stopped. He could move freely again.

He spun around, seeing a black heap on the ground a couple of meters behind him. He tried to stand up again, failing miserably. It wouldn't surprise him that he broke something, or everything. Letting himself fall from such a height was a stupid decision.

He crawled towards her, having no other choice. He could not make any details from afar. Once he came closer he observed this girl lying on the ground, in a mangled position as if she wanted to shield her stomach while also have complete control of her arms in front of her. She wore all black, half of her dark brown hair in a bun and the rest covering her face as she laid there, seemingly unconscious. Her elbows dug into the dirt, her mesh gloves torn with dried blood escaping the cuts. And her fingers, forever stuck in a rat seal.

Deidara looked at her, not knowing what to think. He put his fingers on the headband around her arm, tilting it to take a look at it. His eyes narrowed at the crossed out Iwagakure symbol on its glistening surface. His brain was telling him he knew who that was and he rejected it. It was absurd to think that.

If that's really her then-

He pulled on the already torn part of the glove, ripping a whole piece of it off. Outer part of her arm was covered in light red scars – burns his Bakuton left a long time ago.

He grabbed her fingers in a seal. It was her.

And he thought he'd never see her again.

"Release!"

* * *

 **Sayomi's POV**

I was woken up with a jolt. Or maybe by a jolt would be a better description. A fire burned down my entire body and my eyes opened without hesitation, as if a nightmare was so scary I had to quickly check whether I'm okay. I saw the earth and grass in my line of view, a second later remembering I was wounded.

I sprung up, touching my stomach and checking the state of my wound. "I have bled to death, I-" Nothing hurt though. And I don't mean that I was numb to pain, because I was forever unable to ignore any sort of pain. Nothing hurt because there was no wound. No blood. No sizzling. No nothing.

That's when I noticed someone was next to me so I looked up.

"He put you in genjutsu, un." He looked older than the last time I'd seen him, especially in the face, sorta catching me off guard. His eyes were just like I remembered them though; blue like the sky. Bangs were still over his left eye, the rest of his blond hair up in a ponytail and over his back. He looked exhausted, wounded, dirty, bruised…but alive and real. He was here.

I grabbed his shirt, shaking him as hard as I could. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Oi-" He raised his hand, the hand-mouth sticking its tongue out. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" I stopped shaking him, a smile creeping up my lips as I looked at his face so close to me. I wasn't angry though, just full of questions. And happy, I was so happy.

"Why is your headband crossed?" He asked and I let go of his shirt.

"What do you mean? I'm a missing nin, obviously." He deadpanned.

"And why?"

"Because I went looking for you, I just said."

"When?"

"Three years ago." His eyes widened. "What?"

"I left the same day you did, you idiot, so thanks for waiting for me! I don't have a bird to fly on like you do, and I'm not as fast on foot." My every word seemed to confuse him even more and I sighed.

"Did you really think I'd stay in the village after everything that's happened? It took me three months to track you, only for the Akatsuki to beat me to it." He stared at me, a realization suddenly washing over him.

"It was you who Samehada sensed!" I smiled. "Yes, I've been there and I've seen it all. Didn't have much luck finding you afterwards."

"Then that means I could have gone and blown the whole village up this entire time, un." He looked up, letting out an annoyed exhale.

"What village? Don't tell me you went back to Iwa to-"

"I wanted to."

"But you didn't?" I asked one more time just in case.

"No, un." He didn't look pleased about it.

"Okay. That's good." I let out a sigh of relief. "Why would you even do that?" He gave me a look and I waved my hands. "I know, I know. That's still not good enough reason to blow everything up."

"It would have gotten my point across." He muttered.

"Don't even get me started on that." Onoki-sensei sure acted deaf that day and I was still mad about it. "You wouldn't believe the things I said to Onoki that day. I was so pissed. He didn't listen to me, so I left and I've been looking for you ever since." And now after three years of search, he was here in front of me.

I shook my head. "I can't believe the fricking deer found you." I tried not to burst out laughing from the absurdity of the whole thing.

"You could have taken Sasuke out, un. He didn't have much chakra left."

"Where did he go anyway?" I completely forgot Deidara was in the middle of a fight.

"Summoned a giant snake and disappeared along with it. The snake should be dead, but the bastard's probably still alive, un. For some reason he chose to ignore me." Deidara probably hated his guts right now but I was really grateful he decided to do that.

"I really didn't care about him. I wasn't about to look for you all over again."

"Yeah, so you let yourself get caught in a genjutsu, un."

"I guess that makes two of us." His eyes widened slightly.

"You saw when Itachi-"

"I just told you I was there. I've seen it all." Despite being calm on the surface, I could see he was still very much angry. It was in the way his eyes were slightly narrowed with his balled up fists resting on his knees.

"I don't think I've ever been in genjutsu before." I picked at my torn gloves. "Hell, I thought I was pretty clear I have no interest in him and just want him to leave. Didn't think he'd put me in genjutsu for no good reason."

"How'd you find me?"

"I went everywhere looking for you-for the Akatsuki. But then the Kazekage thing happened and every village got a notice about you so I thought I have to step it up and find you quickly. So I…I went to Konoha and I met my family." He kept looking at me. "And they helped me find you."

"Konoha shinobi helped you find me?" He raised his brow.

"The deer actually." I muttered. "They kinda own a whole forest with the deer in it and the deer found you and lead me here. I told my uncle about you and he agreed to help me regardless. No one but him and my cousin know about you or the fact that I'm looking for you. I know it sounds crazy but they won't-"

"You mentioned Konoha's platoon was nearby, un." He cut me off and I stopped talking, listening for any weird sounds. I was so happy I finally found Deidara I forgot about everything else. My recklessness could have ruined it all.

"I don't know where they are exactly, but I do know they are out here looking for Itachi." I lowered my voice. "But yeah, we should go." I was about to stand up when he put his hand on his leg.

"I can't walk. I wrecked my leg during the fight, un." He glanced away and I sat back down.

"Sure seems you gave Sasuke hell." Just for a moment his eyes glistened, agreeing with my statement.

"He barely escaped it, un." He looked at me as I put my hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"It'll be a bit cold but not for long." I had just enough chakra to teleport to the beginning of Nara clan's forest. I couldn't do any farther than that from this distance, and I certainly didn't want to sit here for a minute more and risk running into Konoha's platoon.

I concentrated on visualizing the forest before making the seal. It took a bit longer than usual because of the distance, but once I opened my eyes I looked up to check the trees. Their shapes and the amount of shadows in this part of the forest told me I succeeded.

I let go of Deidara's shoulder and he looked around.

"Did I mention I have a new jutsu?" I grinned as he looked at me amazed.

"Where are we?"

"Close to Konoha, in Nara clan's forest."

"Since when do you have a space-time ninjutsu, un?"

"Since three years ago. That's how I escaped from Kisame and his Samehada." I gloated.

"I can't believe you didn't take Sasuke out with it!"

"I told you I don't care about him at all!" I yelled back. "Besides, he caught me in genjutsu first."

"Because you stopped to capture me in your Shadow Bind. You could have just used that jutsu of yours to take him out." I pursed my lips. "He didn't have enough chakra to keep his Chidori charged more so, un."

"Yeah well, while in genjutsu he put a hole in my stomach with that Raiton of his'. The pain felt real to me." He got quiet.

"Just let him go, who cares about Sasuke Uchiha anyway?"

"He with that stupid Sharingan of his' completely disregarded my art, un. And then on top of that, he also figured out his Raiton is my only weakness." I could see his pride was wounded and he was very much pissed about letting Sasuke walk away just like that, but hearing him talk about his art after so many years – it made me so happy I couldn't stop smiling.

"Yeah real funny, un." He added sarcastically once he saw my face.

"He maybe refused to acknowledge it, but he felt it first-hand. I saw how bruised he was." He glanced at me. "Next time you'll get him." I got quiet because I wanted to ask him about his position in the Akatsuki, but didn't know how to word the question. There were many things I wanted to share with him, so all of this was a bit overwhelming.

"Say, the deer are here." I snapped out of it, following his stare and seeing two deer coming closer. Then one of them began stomping his hooves, lowering his head and pointing his antlers at us.

"I think they're attacking us, un." He seemed to be in slight disbelief about the whole deer situation.

"I already fought with a deer once today, I don't want to go through that again." He looked at me with eyebrows raised.

"Don't ask. The deer almost won." I raised my bruised hands in the air and for a moment I thought he'll actually burst out laughing.

The other deer also lowered his head, pointing antlers at us. That's when I remembered the catch.

"He has my permission to be here!" I yelled. The deer raised their heads, turned around, and left.

"So not a bat but a deer, un." I smiled. "Yeah go figure." I decided I have to get it over with so I inhaled and finally voiced my question.

"So, what now?" He turned his head away.

"I'm a missing nin who's a member of the Akatsuki. What do you think?"

"I can work with that. But only if you choose to be an ex-Akatsuki member." I laid it out, knowing I'm dropping a bomb of my own.

"And then what, un?"

"Then you'll share what you know about the Akatsuki with Konoha and we'll use that to strike a deal with Onoki." He stared at me as if he's never seen me before.

"What? Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

"It's even crazier in detail." I added. "I told you I have a plan. My uncle will help me realize it, and I'm pretty sure I can win over Onoki this time around." Not in my wildest dreams have I thought I'll have to go as far as to talk with the Hokage about granting a safe passage to Iwa's missing nin, but right now that became a real possibility.

"Why would I want to go there? He has the most connection to the Akatsuki than anyone else, un!"

"What do you mean?" I furrowed my brows.

"Well the Old Geezer first threatened me with execution, made me leave the village and join the Akatsuki, only to then contract Akatsuki on various jobs and missions instead of Iwa shinobi. So who do you think completed those missions for him? Me, an ex-Iwa shinobi." He pointed at himself as I tried to wrap my head around it.

"Why would he choose Akatsuki instead of-"

"Because we were cheaper, un."

"…Shit." And to think I stayed as far away from Land of Earth as I could. Turns out I would have run into the Akatsuki there of all places.

"No, this is perfect." I smirked. "He contracted a criminal organisation for missions instead of Iwa shinobi, there's no way he wants anyone to know that."

"Forget it, why would I go back?"

"Because it's obvious you're invaluable as a shinobi. This just proves it he needs you, you with that kinjutsu." I emphasized.

"I tried to grab his attention the first few months after I left. I did a lot of explosions, and he didn't even blink, un."

"Yeah I know you took commissions. Blowing up that mine in Akamira and that village near Kusagakure. Everyone seemed grateful about it."

"And terrorist bombings against Daimyo." He crossed his hands.

"I only heard about that commission for Daimyo's new resort." My eyes narrowed. "I tried every approach, un. Old Geezer didn't care. He didn't care about both of Iwa's jinchuuriki. Are you really surprised?" I guess in a way I was. Onoki-sensei wasn't like that when we were still in the village. Back then I thought he notices everything, despite how old he was. Sure, there was a chance he heard about all those commissions Deidara took, but what made me think differently was the fact that he didn't react to them at all. That wasn't Onoki I knew. He would react even more so because he'd know Deidara was behind it.

Maybe he wasn't what I thought he was. Or maybe he changed drastically since we left.

"How much bijuu does Akatsuki have?"

"They don't have Hachibi and Kyuubi, un."

"And what do they intend to do with it?"

"They want to control the balance of power by collecting the bijuu and leaving other Nations without them. Then offer cheaper prices for missions and in the end control the world by having a monopoly on war." He recited.

I blinked. "What?" Whoever thought of that was insane.

"It has three stages, I had to listen to those speeches quite often, un." I exhaled, trying not to get deterred by complexity of this whole situation, or how everything was getting more complicated with each second.

"Look, I know you were there when Sasori abducted the Kazekage." He glanced at me. "I know you blew up that passage."

"I took care of the Kazekage too." My face lost all colour.

"But the report said Sasori poisoned the Kazekage-"

"You mean unsuccessfully sedated him?" I didn't know this version of the story. "Because of it Kazekage woke up in the middle of the desert, and I was the one who had to take him out, un."

I pressed my lips together. The thought that Deidara did something that was more damning than just blowing up a cliff passage was slowly getting overpowered by the thought that Deidara was strong enough to take down the Kazekage.

"You were stronger than the Kazekage?" I asked and he smirked.

"See? You would have given Onoki hell had you stayed in Iwa. We have to go back. He has to see consequences of his stupid decisions. I want him to know he made a wrong call three years ago!" Listening to Deidara's feats only made me more fired up to march back into Onoki's office and tell him 'told you so!'

"I took down Ichibi and Sanbi for the Akatsuki." He said, obviously wanting me to drop it. "And I had a part in the extraction of each bijuu. You can't make me seem innocent, un."

"I know that's hard to do, but you didn't join the Akatsuki because you wanted to. You can't deny that and they will know you're not lying. We can say everything after it was you following orders without wanting anything to do with them."

"They won't believe me, un."

"Konoha shinobi don't have any right to detain Iwa's missing nin for anything other than questioning. Then they have to extradite you back to Iwa. Onoki won't be able to do anything then because we'll hold info about him working with Akatsuki over his head. This is even better than I planned."

"You are also a missing nin." He pointed at my headband. "Konoha shinobi will put us in genjutsu and extract every bit of information we have. You know that, un."

"I can just…tell them I was sent by Onoki to find you." I improvised. "They won't waste their time to check it. Even if they do, Onoki won't refuse the extradition." He didn't look convinced in the slightest.

"My uncle will help us. They won't care about you if you give them valuable info about the Akatsuki. If you can tell them where Itachi is, they won't ask you anything else." He frowned.

"Konoha has to protect its jinchuuriki, they won't waste their time on you." I repeated, sort of trying to convince myself I was right to think that.

"Even if we do somehow make it to Iwa-" He put his palm up. "Why do you think Old Geezer will let us blackmail him? He'll kill me before I get a chance to say everything I know, un."

"Do you really think I'll let him do it? After three years of looking for you? Psh!" I waved off his confused face.

"You know it's not impossible. All this sounds to me like you don't want to go back to Iwa." He stayed silent and I bit the inside of my lip.

"Do you want to go back to the Akatsuki?" He opened his mouth but I cut him off. "I don't have any reason to be in Iwa all by myself, and I don't like Konoha enough to live there either. If you want to go back to the Akatsuki, I'm going with you!"

"No." He was blunt.

"No, what?"

"You're not joining the Akatsuki, un."

"Well I'm not the one with a broken leg and no chakra or clay left. How will you stop me?" He rolled his eyes.

"I remember you being stubborn but I don't remember you being this stubborn." He muttered, taking off the ring from his right index finger and throwing it away. I didn't get a chance to ask him what was that about because he turned back to me, anger in his features.

"If things take a turn I'm blowing the whole place up, un. I don't care who or what." He wasn't thrilled about all of this, that much I could see, but he decided to go with it. That's all that mattered.

He made sure to look me in the eyes as he made that threat, but now he glanced away. I hadn't seen him for a long time but regardless of it, he was still very much familiar. I found that so comforting I couldn't help myself but crack a smile. I never planned that outcome with me going to the Akatsuki's side, yet I was all set to do it the moment he showed hesitation. I didn't want to be left alone again.

"I missed you." I said. He flinched but I already looked away, taking off my crossed out headband and my ruined gloves. The majority of the plan now rested on my shoulders, but I was so happy I didn't notice the weight of it all. Deidara was here, despite everything he chose to trust me, and I wasn't about to screw up.

"Come on, we have to heal you first."

* * *

 **Yay, Dei's still alive!**

 **Some of you may be wondering why I didn't kill Sasuke now that I had the chance, and believe me I would have loved to, since I'm kinda like Sayomi in the 'don't care about Sasuke' department, but I guess he'll be important later so meh, Sasuke lives.**

 **As I mentioned before, now's the time the story shifts in comparison to the canon storyline. I guess there will be a lot of unbelievable things, like why is Deidara going along with a plan like this. All of it will be revealed as we progress through the story, but if you don't mind some spoilers y'all can send me a question/PM and I'll explain everything.**

 **Also, does anyone know why I've included that fight with the deer in the last chapter? I've answered it here, but I wonder if you got it. (I'm only asking it because I forgot to ask you in last chapter, fml.)  
**

 **Aaaand, come on people, I really like hearing your thoughts about this story and I get NONE. So pretty please, review and let me know what you think. Reviews do wonders for my inspiration and I need a kick right now because I'm in a little bit of a slump with one of the future chapters, and it's driving me nuts.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and if I get out of my slump soon, new chapter comes next week. If not, two weeks tops.**


	32. Part 2, Chapter 12

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Sayomi's POV**

"This whole thing would have been easier had you not broken your leg." I muttered. If everything doesn't go according to plan, my other idea was to teleport us both away from Konoha, in case they decide to imprison us. But if he's wounded I cannot do that, which means I'll have to either endure whatever it is that happens or try my hardest to make everything go as I want it. Sure, that complicated things quite a bit, but as long as nothing happens to Deidara, I'll be fine.

He grumbled something under his breath and I went to his right side, since his right leg was busted, crouching down. "Come on, I'll help you walk." He put his right hand around my neck and I helped him stand up, letting him lean on me instead on his wounded leg.

I suspected he'd have to go to the hospital to get this treated. I just wasn't sure how to go about that. I thought about teleporting to hospital right away, but how do I explain to medic nin our crossed out headbands. Even if I take them off, they'd soon realize he was in a serious battle and then what. Talk about them freaking out because of the kinjutsu. Shikaku could help me, but do I just teleport to the back yard or-

"Oh fuck it." I inhaled, making sure my other hand was on Deidara's back. "I'll take us to my uncle's house. They might freak out." I nibbled on my lower lip, trying to predict the worst case scenario. "They may or may not freak out. My aunt will freak out. Oh, just…"

"You said you had a plan, un." He muttered.

"I do have a plan! I just don't have every single detail planned out. I'll take you to hospital after I ask Shikaku something first." I glanced at him, seeing he didn't look convinced.

"I got this." That's when I noticed something from the corner of my eye. My first thought was that it's just another deer, but the antlers soon gave away it was none other than the head deer. My eyes narrowed.

"You!" I forgot Deidara wasn't very mobile so as I went towards the deer I yanked him so hard both of us almost tumbled down.

"You wanna break my other leg too?!" I chuckled, catching my balance and steadying him. "I'm sorry. You're taller than me, this isn't easy." The deer stomped his hoof, coming closer to me instead.

"Don't look at me like that, I sure remember you kicking my ass." The deer shook its head and I sighed, giving him a smile. "That being said, thank you for helping me."

"You do realize you're talking to a deer?" That wasn't even the craziest thing I'd done. "I think he understands me very well. I gave him your description and he managed to find you." The deer straightened himself, showing us the web of antlers on top of his head as he went away. So I made my seal, envisioning Shikaku Nara's garden.

The garden was empty. The veranda on which Shikaku and I played shogi just hours before was now deserted, and I couldn't even pick up their voices from other parts of the house. I helped Deidara sit down on my old spot in front of the shogi board before going to take a look around the house.

I found Yoshino doing the laundry near the front entrance.

"Sayomi? What happened?" She eyed my bruises and dirt on my knees.

"Where's Shikaku?" I went straight to the point. Deidara may be good at handling pain but it's not like he can wait forever.

"He had to do something in the village." She hung the sheet on the rack.

"Do you know where? I have to talk to him right now."

"He should be back soon. Why are you in such a hurry? You even skipped lunch! And where's your cloak?" She bombarded me with questions.

"Never mind that. Look, I found my friend, but he's wounded so I need to take him to hospital." Although I told her I'm looking for my friend, I didn't disclose her as much detail as I did to Shikaku and Shikamaru. That's why I hoped she won't freak out too much regarding the kinjutsu thingy.

"Oh right. Well where is he?" She stopped hanging the laundry.

"Back there." I pointed at the veranda. "His leg is broken so I'll leave him here until I find Shikaku." She went to the veranda faster than I thought she would, obviously being curious to see him, so I ran after her.

"If you could just tell me where exactly he is-" she peeked around the corner and then looked back at me with her mouth open.

"That's him?"

"Uh, yeah." She took another look before giving me a devilish grin and marching off towards the front doors. "I'll go and find Shikaku. You two spend some time together!"

"But I'll be faster!" I yelled after her.

"You'll thank me later!" And just like that she was gone.

I threw my hands in the air. "Great, why not waste even more time." I went back to Deidara, seeing as it would be utterly pointless to run after Yoshino and try to change her mind.

"So?" He asked me as I sat down.

"We wait until someone gets back." Not like we had a choice. I didn't mind spending time with him, but I wished the circumstances were better.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "Does it hurt?"

"I've been through worse, un." So far he said he feels his right leg is broken. Left seemed to be functioning, but he took some beating from Sasuke for sure. His arms were covered in bruises, with dried blood on them, and it seemed the hand-mouth on his right hand was bloody. His cheek and lip looked slightly bruised as well, and overall he was dirty and tired.

"What happened to your arm?" I pointed at the stitches on his left arm. "Is that the worse?"

"Kazekage crushed it with his sand so I had to have it reattached." Right, of course Kazekage didn't go down without a proper fight.

"Like your whole arm was crushed?"

"Unusable, un."

"Shit." I stared at the stitches, thinking how that must have hurt like hell. The mere thought of it made me cringe.

"Reattaching it cost me a million ryo." He switched the topic.

"Who charged you that much?" I raised my brows.

"An Akatsuki member that got killed before I could pay my debt." I burst out laughing. "That's…weird. Was everyone in the Akatsuki like that?"

"Insane, yeah. But really powerful, un."

"Shikamaru, my cousin, was in one of the teams that took down two members of the Akatsuki. They killed his sensei at one point so it got a bit personal. I think he said their names were Kakuzu and Hidan." He didn't seem as surprised as I thought he'll be.

"I didn't believe that intel at first. Both of them were immortal, un."

"Immortal? How's that possible?"

"Kakuzu was almost hundred years old, as far as I heard him say. He told me he fought with the first Hokage."

"What? And he survived that?" He nodded. "Then he stole a kinjutsu from his village and became a bounty hunter."

"Did that kinjutsu make him immortal then?" Stealing kinjutsu wasn't anything new I guess.

"I think so. I don't know what it was, un. But he liked killing his partners, and money. In the end he was paired with Hidan who claimed no one could kill him."

"But how does that work? What if they stabbed him, or cut his head off?"

"He did get his head cut off once, and he survived it. Kakuzu reattached it just like he reattached my arm, un." That must have been freaky. And to think Shikamaru fought with someone of that calibre.

"I have to ask Shikamaru about that fight. What can you do against someone who can survive getting his head cut off?" I thought out loud. "Except blowing him up. Could he survive getting blown up in a million pieces?" I turned to him.

"He didn't stick around long enough to let me try that so I don't know." He smirked. "But that's what I would do, un."

"Of course _you_ wouldn't have any problem blowing someone up. I'm interested in how they did that, if that's how they got rid of him." Really have to remember to ask Shikamaru about it.

"Well whatever they did, it worked. Hidan may have seemed like a problem, but Kakuzu had far more battle experience. How they got rid of him is impressive, un." I was well aware Akatsuki was a group of many powerful shinobi, but if even Deidara couldn't believe they got killed that easily – they were truly something.

"So who was your partner?"

"Sasori."

"Sasori of the Red Sand?" He looked at me. "Yeah, un. How do you know?" I smiled, leaning on my arms propped behind me.

"I did a bit of investigating while I was searching for you. I know Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki are in the Akatsuki, and later when I went to Suna I found out Sasori was a missing nin and a member of the Puppet Brigade. He was with Itachi and Kisame that day in Akamira." He nodded. "He didn't look human then so I decided to check the Puppet Brigade and confirm if he is or isn't a puppet. In the end those puppets only freaked me out."

" _True art is eternal beauty that's undisturbed."_ He made a face. "That's what he always used to say, un. He wanted to be eternal, like his puppets, so he made himself into a puppet." That sounded familiar.

"How'd he look?" He raised his eyebrow. "What is it to you?"

"Was he a redhead?" I persisted, ignoring his confused face.

"Yeah."

"I knew it!" I snapped my fingers. "I found someone like that in that cave of yours in Land of Rivers. The place was in ruins, with puppets all over the place. There was one puppet that wasn't entirely made of wood, with swords going through that fleshy part in his chest. The report did state the Kazekage retrieval unit killed Sasori, but I couldn't say for sure that was him."

"He stayed there after we sealed the Ichibi even though we were warned that Suna sent their shinobi after us, un. I would've too but it seemed like a waste of time, so I left to get my hand fixed. Missed the Kyuubi because of it." I furrowed my brows at that but he smirked. "After all that preaching how art is eternal, he gets killed."

"So when you would say that art is a single fleeting moment-" I still remembered how he viewed his art. It stayed engraved in my brain.

"He'd tell me to stop spouting nonsense, un." I chuckled, smile on my lips. What were the chances he'd get paired up with someone who's an exact opposite like that.

"Sure seems Akatsuki wasn't boring." He shrugged and I bit my lip. "Will you be okay sharing what you know about it?"

"Konoha has been thinning our ranks for the last couple of months, so there's not much I can tell them that they don't already know." He glued his eyes on mine. "And since I'm still alive, I might as well go back to Iwa and feel Jinton first hand, un."

"You'd win." I muttered, looking away.

"Akatsuki had its perks but I never cared about their goal. I never believed they'll reach it." He looked at his hand, the hand-mouth showing its teeth.

"What perks?"

"I had enough time to expand my art." I gave him an expectant look. "I'd show you but there'd be no more Konoha, un."

I burst out laughing. "That doesn't surprise me. In three years I came up with one new jutsu, while you probably have a dozen of them."

"Did you really doubt me?" Corner of his mouth curled up.

"Soo, new and improved pop-art?" I tried.

"Hah, pop-art is dead! My art is superflat!"

"That's new! Since when is it superflat?" I continued to laugh.

Then someone cleared their throat and I stopped laughing, turning my head and seeing slightly confused Shikaku standing next to snickering Yoshino.

"Finally!" I stood up. "Do you think I can go and have a word with Hokage?" All of them looked at me as if I've gone insane. And maybe my plan was insane, but I had a feeling we'd be safer if we have Hokage's word for it. Thus, my new plan relied on that.

"Hokage?" Yoshino asked as Shikaku came closer. "First things first. You must be Deidara." He immediately noticed Deidara was fresh out of fight. "What happened to you?"

"Sasuke Uchiha." We both spoke. "He's in a far worse state, un." Deidara added, looking away.

"His leg is broken, probably something else too. He definitely has to go to the hospital after I talk with Hokage." Shikaku was giving me a look. A look that said: I know you're planning something, but you better tell me what it is because it's a bad idea.

"Sayomi, bargaining with the Tsuchikage who's your former sensei is one thing. Talking with our Fifth Hokage and hoping she'll do what you want is something completely different. You two are both Iwa's missing nin. She can find that out by sending one messenger bird to Iwa."

"Alright, then I won't try and talk her into anything. I'll just talk to her." I more or less knew what to say to her, but it all depended on my approach. That's why I took off my headband in the first place. If I can avoid her realizing that I'm also Iwa's missing nin, I will have more credibility.

"Candidly?"

"Yes, I promise." I raised my palm in the air. Shikaku sighed. "I'll go with you just in case. And you should take him to hospital now."

"No, I won't take him there without knowing first-hand what will happen to him. Besides, he can't go there all by himself."

"Shikamaru could help with that." Shikaku turned to Yoshino. "He missed lunch but I think he'll be back soon." She added.

"Let's go and talk to Tsunade-hime first."

"Before we do that, I need to ask you one more thing." I stopped him. "I'm not sure we should tell her about my connection to Konoha. After all…my mom is a traitor in a way." I didn't want to say that but I wasn't lying. Abandoning your village in secret and defecting to another one could be labelled as treason.

"Shiori isn't a traitor, Sayomi." Yoshino said but I kept looking at Shikaku, knowing I'm right.

"What Shiori did could be interpreted as treason, especially because she did it during the war and in secret." He let those words out carefully. "I can't call her a traitor because she's my sister, but I'm not in denial like the rest of the family."

"What did they say?" I asked. Yoshino gave Shikaku a look but I insisted. "What was it?"

"They had to label someone a traitor, and since most of them knew Shiori, they chose not to think of her as the traitor, but you. It's because of what you said yesterday. They think you are a traitor both to Nara and to Konoha." I saw Deidara's eyes narrowing.

"I told them there are probably some people in Iwa who would want nothing more but to call you Sayomi Ishii, so we cannot insist you are Sayomi Nara. You are both of them, and only you can decide what to call yourself. Regardless, they had to label someone a traitor, so they labelled you."

"But can they go to Hokage with it?" I asked, choosing to ignore the Nara-Ishii issue since I really had bigger priorities. "Can they go to Hokage and say I'm a traitor, or my mother, and use it to discredit me?" He shook his head.

"No. Hokage would also think your mother is the traitor, and not you since you're not a Konoha shinobi. They can say what they want about your mother, it doesn't have anything to do with your position right now."

"They won't dare to talk to Hokage about Shiori in the first place." Yoshino crossed her hands. "She's sister of the head of the Nara clan." Shikaku didn't try to hide his smirk at that.

"So, should I tell Hokage what my connection to Konoha is or-"

"Absolutely. You're well aware that's an important factor in this whole thing." I sighed, glancing at Deidara only to find him silent, his eyes on me.

I nodded, going closer to Shikaku. "Let's go then." I gave Deidara one last look to stay put before placing my hand on Shikaku's shoulder and teleporting us in front of Hokage's building. I didn't remember every single location in Konoha but I did memorize Hokage's building.

"Let me explain who you are first." I nodded as he knocked on Hokage's office. Shortly after a woman's voice called us in.

"Tsunade-hime, there's something I need to talk to you about." He said, and the blond woman sitting by the table looked up, her orange eyes telling me she's a lot older than her appearance would suggest. She reminded me of the Fifth Mizukage in a way that I immediately knew that no matter how beautiful she looks, she can and will kill you if she deems you a threat.

She looked at me, sort of being confused why I was here, but Shikaku didn't let her take her time to guess.

"This girl here is Sayomi, daughter of my deceased sister and Hayato Ishii of the Iwa. She is an Iwa shinobi, and my niece." I bowed my head slightly.

"Shiori's daughter?" She looked at me and I blinked. "You knew my mother?"

"I didn't know her personally, but I remember seeing her in the medic tent during the war. Instead of having a kanji for medic on her robes, she'd have Nara clan's seal." Shikaku smiled. "That was her."

"When did she elope to Iwa?"

"Near the end of war. I got the news she'd been killed by Ishii of the Iwa, but it seems that wasn't the case. They both died three year later, and their daughter grew up in Iwa without knowing she has roots here in Konoha."

"Hmm." Her eyes darted between the two of us and I took that as my cue.

"Only recently had I gathered the courage to meet my family here, partially because I needed their help." I took a deep breath. "My friend from Iwa got tricked into joining the Akatsuki by Itachi Uchiha three years ago. I've been looking for him ever since. Today I found him and in return for medic attention, he will share Akatsuki's plans with you." She looked at Shikaku who only nodded.

"An Akatsuki member changed sides?"

"However, I won't let him be put in genjutsu again." I cut her off. "He bears a grudge towards Itachi for using a genjutsu on him, so there's no way he'll accept to be dragged in genjutsu again by some other Konoha shinobi." She frowned and even Shikaku looked at me with his brows raised.

"That won't go. If he truly changed sides and wishes to share info, we have to do a proper interrogation, which implies putting him in genjutsu."

"Then the deal is off." My heart was beating rapidly as I said it, knowing I'm hanging by a thread here. If she calls the deal off I'm screwed. That's why I said that the whole thing would have been easier had he been healthy. Because of his broken leg I can't afford her not complying.

"Our men can take him in-" I looked at Shikaku, telling him with my eyes that if I see her moving even a finger to alert the Anbu, I'm teleporting to his house and getting both of us away. I was capable of doing it and he knew it.

He shook his head and Tsunade-hime gritted her teeth. "Shikaku, you know this is an impossible request-"

"Ibiki will know if he's lying without putting him in genjutsu. It is an insane request, but Itachi is known to be merciless with his genjutsu. If he bested him like that, no wonder he doesn't want to experience something similar. He could have chosen to not talk to Konoha shinobi at all, and the fact that he did has to be taken seriously. We need insider info about the Akatsuki." She stared at the two of us, looking dissatisfied before eventually sighing.

"Fine, I will have Ibiki conduct that interrogation. He is probably the only one who can do it properly without using genjutsu. But you will be interrogated along with him." I nodded.

"That's fine by me. He's Iwa's missing nin and I have to bring him back to Iwa after he's done here." Her eyes narrowed. "I know all this is a lot to ask, but I have something else I can offer you in exchange."

"And that is?" I knew exactly what Konoha shinobi wanted, Shikamaru said it to me loud and clear yesterday. The only reason Konoha sent that two platoons after Itachi was because he is Sasuke's older brother, and they are certain Sasuke will be coming to meet him. They don't actually want Itachi, they want Sasuke, just as Shikamaru said.

And I could help them get what they want.

"I interrupted his fight with Sasuke Uchiha a few hours ago. He wasn't my priority so I let him leave, but he was wounded and without much chakra left. I know you are searching for both him and Itachi, so if you have any tracking shinobi available, I can take them to that battlefield." She put her fingers on her temple, exhaling.

"My best tracking shinobi are on a mission to find Itachi Uchiha right now. I don't know who else to send."

"Then it'd be for the best if we make contact with them and redirect their route." Shikaku joined in. "Inuzuka kid is with them and he'll be able to pick up Sasuke's scent if we lead him to the correct location." Hokage nodded, then looked at me.

"Let's see if I understood everything. That friend of yours, ex-Akatsuki member, will share insider info with us but only under your terms, and you will help us track Sasuke Uchiha, in exchange for medic treatment and extradition to Iwa." I nodded.

"And you're not at all worried he's an Akatsuki spy or is this some kind of infiltration ploy?" She looked at Shikaku.

"Then he managed to trick her too, and I don't think he can do that."

"Why is he a missing nin?" She raised her eyebrow at me.

"He took a kinjutsu and Onoki-sensei didn't take it lightly."

"You called him your sensei."

"He is both of our sensei, so this whole thing is a bit personal. That's why we won't risk not making it to Iwa."

"It seems Nara is driving both of us insane, Onoki." She hit the table with her hand. "Alright Sayomi Nara, let's have it your way. Konoha shinobi will be watching your every step, so don't even bother trying to trick us." Then she looked at Shikaku. "We have to think of a way to redirect the two platoons."

Shikaku turned to me. "You take Deidara to hospital and then come back here. We'll think of something in the mean time." I ran through the doors, knowing very well I first have to take a better look at the hospital to be able to fully visualize it.

It took me a couple of minutes and few directions from people on the street before I reached it. As soon as I memorized the interior of the lobby I teleported back to the house. Yoshino wasn't there anymore, but Shikamaru was. He was leaning on the doorframe a bit away from Deidara, his eyes on him like a hawk. I guess he didn't like the fact than an Akatsuki member was sitting on his veranda. Deidara was on the same spot as before, resting his chin on his hand, well aware Shikamaru is observing him and looking very much annoyed by it. There's no way he'd have stayed put without the injury preventing him from moving anywhere.

He straightened himself once he noticed me, and I grinned, going closer to him and helping him stand up.

"I told you I got it." I said as he put his hand around my neck.

"Great, can I stop being a babysitter now?" Shikamaru asked and I frowned at him. "Oh relax, will you? He's not here to fight you so lay off."

"Easy for you to say, you know the guy."

"That's why I'm telling you to lay off, he won't do anything to you."

"Not like I can right now." Deidara muttered. I ignored him, knowing he doesn't have any real reason to fight with Konoha shinobi. He knew in what kind of situation we were in right now, especially he himself, so I trusted he knows exactly what he can and cannot do.

Though the only reason I didn't worry about him getting in a fight with anyone was because he was injured and had no clay at his disposal. He wouldn't be able to resist showcasing me his art if the situation were any different.

"You know the terms of our truce. We shook on it." He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I do, I do." He turned around to leave.

"Wait, I need you to keep an eye on Deidara until I get back."

"Again?"

"They want to try and track Sasuke so I'll have to show them your former battlefield." I explained to Deidara.

"You fought with Sasuke?" Shikamaru looked at Deidara. "Have you two just been sitting in silence this whole time?"

"Yeah, un." I rolled my eyes. "Yes, he fought with Sasuke."

"He's more beaten than I am." He just had to add that every time.

"I'm in your debt Shikamaru." I smiled at him, sort of saying that he's going whether he wants it or not, while also trying to ease him about this whole situation.

He didn't look completely warmed up to the idea, but came down nevertheless. "You women are so troublesome."

I teleported both of them to the hospital, and while Shikamaru went to talk to the nurse, Deidara leaned closer, untying his headband.

"Since you're already going back Say, maybe you can find my eye-piece. It should be somewhere on the ground, un. You'll know it when you see it." Without his headband his hair swayed even more than usual, both of his blue eyes on mine.

"Yeah, sure." He gave me his headband before I left him with Shikamaru, making my way back to Hokage's office.

"Just in time, Sayomi." Shikaku said. "We have a plan ready."

* * *

 **Yoo, thank you for all the lovely reviews, and for patiently waiting for this chapter. I sort of found a plot hole so I had to make sure I have it fixed before uploading new chapters. Just like Sayomi said "I do have a plan, I just don't have every single detail planned out." Well, that's me. But all is okay now.**

 **Some of you may be wondering why Deidara is doing all this, like choosing to talk about Akatsuki to Konoha shinobi, come along peacefully, blah blah, and I did answer it with some of Deidara's lines both in this and the last chapter, but I purposely didn't explain it because I want that to go over Sayomi's head for the time being. Because he's not doing it from the goodness of his heart lol.  
**

 **As for the schemes, I'm only getting started. All will be explained in future chapters, so don't worry if it's vague or not completely clear. I do leave a bunch of clues through chapters, but I will eventually explain all of it.**

 **Thank you for reading, it really means a lot. And reviews make me grin like an idiot so keep 'em coming. :)**


	33. Part 2, Chapter 13

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Hokage looked satisfied as she pointed at the girl standing by her desk, dressed in purple top and skirt, her pale blond hair in ponytail with bangs over her right eye.

I was staring at her so intensely, comparing her to Deidara because of the way her hair was styled, so I almost missed Hokage saying: "You will take Ino Yamanaka with you. She will use her jutsu to find and contact the two platoons." Ino looked at me with a smile but said nothing. She was really pretty, now that I took a better look at her. I've never seen such pale green eyes before.

"Katsuyu will also go with you." Hokage pointed at the blue and white slug on her desk. "She is a direct line of communication with me, just in case anything happens. She will also serve as proof that I was the one who sent you." She motioned me to come closer, only to have the slug jump on my shoulder and take its position.

"Your only job is to lead the platoons to that battlefield. They will pick up from there."

"Shouldn't we go in a team of three? This may take a while." Ino asked and Hokage glanced at me, so I figured Shikaku more or less told her I can take care of that part.

"We'll be back in a couple of hours." I reassured the Hokage while Ino let out a confused "Huh?".

"Excellent, report to me once you come back." Shikaku gave us a nod as Ino and I left the office, slug still on my shoulder.

First a deer, now a slug, what the hell was my life turning into? At least it wasn't a bug of some sort.

"Sayomi Nara, I am Katsuyu." The slug spoke in a soft female voice, nearly making me jump from the surprise. Okay, so there were some animals able to talk to humans. That was new.

"And I'm Ino Yamanaka." Ino smiled.

"Nice to meet you both."

"Lady Katsuyu called you Nara, right? I'm really good friends with Shikamaru so it's weird I've never seen you before."

"I'm an Iwa shinobi actually. Shikaku is my uncle, so that makes Shikamaru my cousin." We were walking towards the entrance of the village since I wanted to cut down on the distance I need to travel. I had enough chakra to pull this through, solely because I was lucky to have multiple breaks between big chunks of travel, but I needed to be mindful of how much chakra I use. I have to be able to get us all to safety if things take a turn for the worse. I can't afford any mistakes on my part, especially now that Deidara was basically surrounded with Konoha shinobi.

"He didn't mention he has a cousin in Iwa." She put her finger on her chin.

"He learned it only recently."

"Lady Tsunade said you are the only one who can take Ino to that battlefield." Katsuyu spoke and I nodded. "I wouldn't have said it if that weren't the case."

"And you're sure we'll be back in a couple of hours?" Ino eyed me. "Yeah. Depends how quickly you find the platoons."

"This is fun!" She clapped her hands. "I've never been on a mission like this before. Only two people and not the whole team, doing super important stuff. I feel like I'm Anbu." I cracked a smile. Yeah, maybe Onoki knew what he was doing when he told me to go train for Anbu.

I stopped them once we reached the exit of the village. "Alright, we'll do it twice in order to cut down the distance. Hold on to me and don't let go." I looked up. It was late afternoon, so I should have no problems regarding the amount of shadows and their strength. Otherwise, it would have been impossible, or at the least extremely difficult to make this sort of long distance travel.

Ino put her hand on my shoulder and I made my seal, visualizing Nara clan's forest.

"I see now. You use a space-time ninjutsu." Katsuyu said as we emerged in a darker part of the forest. "Okay, one more time. Ino, are you holding on?"

"It's so cold in there!"

"Right, I should have mentioned it. Sorry about that." I closed my eyes, remembering how it looked as I buried my knees in the ground and trapped Deidara in my Shadow Bind. The shapes of trees in my close proximity, that one tree behind Sasuke, the bushes and the grass around me.

And then we moved, again. I checked my surroundings, seeing I nailed it. Couple of hours later and I was back on the same spot. Good thing we hurried or else I would have forgotten everything.

"Okay, all that's left now is to find the two platoons." Ino nodded. "Now it's my turn. You'll have to take care of my body in the meantime."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll do a mind-body switch and search for the platoons, but that technique leaves my body unconscious. I'll return to it once I find them, but it may take some time." I guess it couldn't be helped.

She knelt on the ground, doing a seal I've never seen before and closing her eyes. And just like that she lost balance, me jumping in the last second to keep her from falling on the ground.

"I hope we won't get attacked." I muttered, holding Ino by her shoulders. "So, on who did she perform the mind-body switch?"

"A bird most likely. That jutsu was initially used for recon, and Lady Tsunade thinks she's our best bet right now." I nodded, scanning our surroundings. I could see the clearing from our spot, so it was good we weren't out there in the open, but I still hoped no one with an intent to attack me will come near.

"If we get attacked I'll have to teleport us away from here, but then she won't know where to return, right?" I thought about it.

"Yes, we mustn't move her body too much." I exhaled loudly, making Ino lean on the tree. I sat next to her, my hand on her arm and my other hand ready to make a seal if need be.

"Her name sounds familiar to me." I muttered. "Is InoShikaCho formation native to Konoha, or did I mix it up with some other village?" It's been a while since I read those scrolls from Onoki-sensei's library.

"You didn't. Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clan have always had good relations. Together they form the InoShikaCho formation, one of Konoha's most formidable teams. Shikaku, your uncle, is the fifteenth generation of it, and Shikamaru together with Ino forms the sixteenth." For a slug she was really soft spoken, and that made me relaxed.

"I only remember they are called InoShikaCho. Didn't know Nara had something to do with it." Can't believe I didn't realize Shikaku and Shikamaru were connected to it. The 'Shika' part completely flew over my head.

"So Shikamaru as a member of Nara clan uses shadows?"

"Yes, and Ino as a Yamanaka uses telepathy and mind body switch techniques. The trio is strong because of their abilities complimenting each other, allowing them to have incredible teamwork skills." I smiled. Shadow Bind truly shined once you used it as a supporting jutsu.

"Lady Katsuyu, mind if I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"How can I get a summon?" I asked. "And also, no offence, but you can communicate with people whereas I've once seen a mole as a summon that didn't talk at all. Though now that I think about it, maybe he didn't get a chance." I narrowed my eyes. Okay, I wasn't sure about anything any more.

Katsuyu chuckled. "You have to sign a contract with an animal first."

"I get that, but I never met such an animal. How did Tsunade-hime find you?"

"I come from Shikkotsu Forest. It's a sage region where I live. I am much larger than what I appear right now, but I can split into numerous smaller versions of myself. Lady Tsunade and her student can summon parts of me, depending on their strength and how much help they need."

"Help?"

"Yes, I help them concentrate their chakra on wounded people. Using me they can heal numerous people at the same time. That ability proved to be vital during the last Great War."

"Could my mother have signed a contract with you?"

"Your mother was trained in Nara clan's medic ninjutsu. Their focus tends to be on the study of herbs and usage of their healing properties in various remedies. One of their most important experiments was on the pills used by the Akimichi clan."

"So it's not the same type of medic ninjutsu as the one Tsunade-hime uses?'" I saw a lot of things written inside that medical encyclopaedia but I didn't bother reading them all.

"She had to be trained in it to even be called a medic nin, but your mother had a different field of expertise, yes." I guess we were alike in that department. Both of us used different versions of known jutsus.

The forest remained silent, except for occasional birds flying above us. You couldn't even tell what happened here hours prior.

That's when Ino woke up, straightening herself. "I've found them!" She smiled. "It took some time but I found Kakashi-sensei with Pakkun. They'll regroup with the rest of the teams and head here."

"So how long until they arrive?"

"Fifteen minutes?" She guessed and I stood up. "That's enough time for me to find that eye-piece."

"What's that?"

"No idea. If I find something that looks like it can be put over eye, it's probably it." Deidara avoided giving me a detailed description, but since the location of this former battlefield was in a pretty remote part of the woods, if I find anything out of the ordinary lying on the ground, it'll probably be it.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you-" she went after me as I turned to the clearing ahead. I glanced at her, seeing she's fidgeting a bit. "You saw Sasuke, right?"

"Yeah." I turned my stare back to the ground, scouring the area as we walked. "How did he look?"

"Like he just came out of a tough battle." The woods surrounding the clearing didn't show signs that a battle took place but the clearing was a whole other story. It was a lot bigger than I previously thought, with caters left behind from Deidara's explosions. The grass was black and scorched at some points, if there even was grass left. Ground was uneven, with chunks of dirt littered all over the place.

"Unbelievable, the clearing is completely destroyed. There's no doubt that this is Sasuke's doing!" I wouldn't bet on it. Sasuke probably had his fingers in it, but such huge area blown to smithereens had to be solely Deidara's work.

He fricking changed the whole scenery of these woods with his Bakuton.

"So how come Sasuke left you alone? You don't seem like much of a fighter." I looked at her with my brows furrowed.

"Why do you think that?"

"Your hands, fists actually, don't look like they've punched anyone…ever really." I didn't know whether to laugh or be offended. In the end laughter prevailed, since she wasn't wrong that I never punch people. Never was my forte.

"He put me in genjutsu. But truth be told, I didn't plan on fighting him. My priority was to find my friend."

"Another Iwa shinobi?" I nodded. "I've never met anyone from Iwa."

"Now you've met me." I cracked a smile.

"So how long have you been looking for that friend of yours?"

"Three years."

"That's sooo cuuute!" She exclaimed and I raised my brow, turning to look at her. She had her hands on her cheeks, and while I stared at her dumbfounded, Katsuyu let out a chuckle.

"He must really mean a lot to you."

"I…guess." What got into her?

"Oh, I wish someone loved me as much to pursue me for three years." She kept squishing her cheeks while I felt confused by her words.

"I think she's imagining something completely different than what I've gone through." I muttered to Katsuyu before noticing a bunch of people coming closer to the clearing, with a lot of dogs following them.

"Khm, Ino." I pointed behind her and she turned. "You're here!" She went towards them and I followed close behind, taking a careful look at everyone before catching sight of Naruto.

"Long time no see Naruto." I waved at him.

"Hey, it's the spicy ramen girl!" He grinned.

"He totally forgot my name." I whispered, making Katsuyu laugh.

"Lady Katsuyu, what are you doing here?" Pink haired girl asked but Ino turned to a silver-haired man with a mask across his face, his left eye hidden by his Konoha headband.

"Kakashi-sensei, this is Sayomi. She's the reason we're here." I bowed my head slightly, Kakashi's name resonating in the back of my brain. He was in that first team Hokage sent to Suna to help find their missing Kazekage. As for his abilities, I couldn't tell, but if he was helping Suna with the Akatsuki he could be the one that took Sasori out.

"Lady Tsunade sent these two girls with a mission to redirect you here." Katsuyu added and Ino looked at me so I decided it's time for me to speak up.

"I interrupted Sasuke's fight here earlier today." Now everyone got serious and the biggest dog out of them all, looking all white and fluffy, raised his nose, sniffing about.

"He put me in genjutsu before he escaped because he was too beaten up to do anything else. He got away with a giant snake, which I guess is his summon."

"That could be Manda." The other older man said, his brown eyes narrowing underneath his forehead protector that framed his face. He looked at Kakashi. "If that is really Manda, Orochimaru's summon, then that's not good."

"Who did he fight with?" Kakashi turned to me.

"An Akatsuki member. Ex-Akatsuki member that I've taken to Konoha for questioning." He seemed kinda suspicious of me but before he could say anything else, the white dog barked.

"Akamaru caught Sasuke's scent. It's a couple of hours old but not faint enough for us to miss it." The kid with brown hair and red marks on his cheeks said, petting Akamaru's head.

"That was everything we had to do." Ino said. "You pick up from here and find Sasuke!"

"So you've seen him?" Pink haired girl turned to me.

"Yeah. Can't say I enjoyed his genjutsu very much. He seemed really set on finding Itachi." Her face was a mix between worry and sadness, so I figured there was something else bugging them about Sasuke that had nothing to do with bringing him back to the village. They were searching for their friend just like I was, but the circumstances differed in some way I couldn't tell, but could feel.

I looked at Naruto, biting my lip. Now it made sense.

"Is that the friend you're looking for, Naruto?" He nodded, faint smile on his lips.

"I found my friend today, so I hope you'll be just as lucky." I reassured him. I didn't regret letting Sasuke go since his genjutsu would have made me do it just the same, and I had no wish to fight him. Not when Deidara was sitting in front of him and I spent three years looking for him.

"You bet! Let's go!" All the dogs now began sniffing the place as Ino came closer to me.

"We should go now, your mission is finished." Katsuyu said.

"I didn't find the eye-piece yet." Ino then snapped her fingers, pulling me towards the blue-haired girl standing by the side. "Hinata, can you help us with something?"

"I'll do my best." Ino looked at me expectantly as I scrambled to think of a better description of that eye-piece than I had. "Uhm, I'm looking for an eye-piece. It should be on the ground somewhere around here. I'm not sure exactly how it looks to be honest."

"Byakugan!" Veins popped up around her eyes and I looked at Ino with a smile. "Thank you." She grinned, giving me a thumbs up.

Of course I knew what a Byakugan is, even though I've never seen one in person. It was just what I needed in order to find that eye-piece.

"Look over there." Hinata pointed at the right end of the clearing. "I think it may be what you are looking for." I went over there, soon hearing Hinata's "Little bit to the left!"

It was a piece of metal that looked like a cross between a camera and a telescope. I put it away in my pouch before going back.

"Thanks, you really saved me." Hinata nodded, quickly going after Naruto and the rest. Ino was smiling at this ridiculously pale black-haired guy so I cleared my throat, motioning for her to come closer.

"Bye everyone! Good luck!" Ino waved at everyone.

"Kakashi, Lady Tsunade wishes you good luck." He nodded before all of them turned around, using the dogs to follow Sasuke's scent. Ino put her hand on me and I closed my eyes, picturing Nara clan's forest, and then from there, Konoha.

It was a good idea to help them get closer to Sasuke. Not like I particularly cared about their deal with him, since I warned him about the platoons in the first place, but it was a sign of good will. And I didn't hesitate about it, I used my very best jutsu to make sure the whole thing is over as fast as possible. I just hoped all this carried across.

"Oh this was so much fun! I bet Shikamaru and Choji will be so jealous of me." I couldn't match her energy but she was a pleasant company nevertheless.

"We redirected the two platoons and they have successfully picked up Sasuke's scent." Ino relayed as soon as we stepped in Hokage's office, though Tsunade-hime was completely unfazed by her. She only pointed at another blue and white slug on her desk.

"I've already heard all about if from Katsuyu. Good job ladies." Ino bowed and Katsuyu jumped on the table from my shoulder.

"Thank you, Katsuyu." Tsunade-hime smiled and the slugs disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"You're free to go Ino."

"See you later, Sayomi." She waved at me but I only gave her a weak smile, having a bad feeling. Hokage purposely wanted me to stay alone with her. Something was about to happen.

Once Ino left, Hokage looked at me completely serious. "Where is your headband?"

Fuck.

I sighed, taking my crossed-out headband from my pouch, showing it to her. "I had to cross it in order to look for the Akatsuki. I thought you wouldn't take me seriously if I showed it to you."

"I don't know if the real reason you avoided genjutsu is hatred towards Itachi or fear of us finding out something you don't want us to know." So it seems I didn't manage to fool her completely. "I don't care what happened between you two and Onoki. It's not my job to deal with internal affairs of other villages." I held her gaze.

"I am only worried about my own people. Will that friend of yours tell us the truth about the Akatsuki or will he just lie and hope we won't notice?"

"He's not dumb, he knows you have ways to tell if he's lying or not. Besides, he already told me a lot about the Akatsuki, part of their grand plan too. He said he never believed they will accomplish their goals." She continued to stare at me, her brows sharp above her eyes. She could look threatening, I'll give her that.

"And what if Konoha gets attacked by them in order to save him? Won't Akatsuki think he's being held as a prisoner here?" That was something I didn't know for certain, but I didn't want her to even consider it. If she thinks they might get attacked because Deidara is in the village, everything goes downhill.

So I blurted out the first argument that came to my mind.

"He told me Akatsuki has every bijuu except Hachibi and Kyuubi. I don't think they will waste their time on him." Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"That's not good." She tapped her nails on the table.

"You'll do the interrogation first thing tomorrow morning. And if his wounds are any better tomorrow, you can go. I'll be glad if you two lure Akatsuki away from Konoha as soon as possible." I tried not to make a face.

"I am grateful to you for helping us track down Sasuke, but that is not enough for me to disregard how suspicious you and that friend of yours are. I am only trusting you because Shikaku trusts you. He's not easy to fool, but if you have managed to do exactly that by playing 'I'm your niece' card, you might want to rethink it. If you lose his trust you'll never get it back." I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling insulted by her words.

I had no reason to do such a thing to Shikaku. He and his family have been very welcoming to me, and without him and his idea to use the deer I wouldn't have put an end to my search for Deidara. I wanted to snap back at her but kept my mouth shut instead. I was still in her mercy when it came to Deidara. The whole thing was far from over and I wasn't about to ruin it now.

So I bowed and left the scene.

Once I exited my shadow in front of the hospital I realized I was exhausted. I've been teleporting back and forth for the majority of the day, talk about running around and planning everything. All that on just breakfast, and now it was close to sunset. It was one eventful day.

Fortunately I didn't have to go around the hospital in search of everyone because I found Shikaku in the lobby, talking with a nurse. I approached him once they finished.

"How did it go?" He asked me.

"Ino managed to find the two platoons and they picked up Sasuke's scent once they arrived on the battlefield."

"Good. I knew she was the best choice given the situation."

"Where is he?" He motioned me to follow him upstairs. "They healed his leg and he should be able to walk in a day or two."

"That was quick. I thought his leg was broken."

"Not as badly as you thought. The kinjutsu stirred a couple of looks though." Well, that was to be expected.

The moment we stepped on the second floor, I noticed two guards standing in front of the doors on the faraway end of the hallway. Seems Hokage wasn't taking any chances with the two of us.

"Did Tsunade-hime say anything to you?" Shikaku asked, his voice low as we walked down the hallway.

"Yeah. The interrogation will be held tomorrow morning, and after that we should leave Konoha as soon as possible."

"Is there any chance Akatsuki might attack Konoha in order to free him?"

"Both of you asked me that question, as if I'm the one who was part of the organisation for three years." We stopped in front of the guards who nodded to Shikaku but stared me down. I frowned, taking out my headband from my pouch and showing them my Iwa symbol.

"I'm with him." I motioned to the doors, but they didn't look convinced.

"You go in Sayomi, I'll explain it to them." I gave a silent thanks to Shikaku, entering the room and letting him deal with the guards.

Deidara was sitting on the left bed, his bare back to me and his blond hair completely let down. Shikamaru was lying on the couch right of the bed, his hands behind his head and his legs up on the window frame. Seems he finally gave in and relaxed completely.

The nurse that was saying something to Deidara looked at me, placing the carton back on its place and going for the doors. I, for one, went towards the bed.

"I wish I was lying around the whole time." I muttered, stirring their heads towards me.

"Back already?" Shikamaru asked.

"As you can see. How's your leg?" I looked at Deidara. His right leg was wrapped up in bandages from his knee to the ankle, and so were parts of his arms. And as always, no sign on him that anything hurt.

"Better than it was, un." I nodded, glancing at the doors to see the nurse joined in the conversation with Shikaku and the guards.

"Turns out he did blow Hidan up." He added just as the silence became awkward. I looked at Shikamaru. "How did you manage to do it?"

"Lots of planning. I don't care how immortal he is, right now he's lying in a hole in pieces." Deidara snickered.

"A hole?"

"In Nara clan's forest." He clarified.

"Really? Can you show me where?" Shikamaru gave me a look and Deidara laughed. Hey, I was just curious.

"I would love to go there and laugh at his ass. Ask him how will his Jashin-whatever save him now, un."

"Jashin?" I raised my brow. "I once came across someone who wanted me to join something he called 'Way of Jashin'."

"Great, there's more of them." Shikamaru groaned.

"I got really confused, and then the guy called me deaf and said he'll sacrifice me." Deidara's eyes widened.

"You were the Forest Phantom?"

"A what?"

"The idiot said he came across a girl he was convinced was a Forest Phantom, because as soon as he approached her she jumped up and vanished into thin air." Yeah that sounded familiar.

"In my shadow actually." I smirked.

"That means you've met Hidan, un."

"I thought he was insane."

"You weren't wrong." Shikamaru added.

"It's kinda weird that we've all met him."

"Connected by a psycho." I chuckled, turning to Shikamaru. "Thanks a lot for keeping an eye on Deidara, Shikamaru. I really meant it when I said I'm in your debt." He sat up with a yawn.

"I don't know what to ask of you, but I will think of something." He said and I cracked a smile.

"Let's go Shikamaru." Shikaku said from the doors. "You didn't come home for lunch today, but we better be on dinner." He looked at me. "You too, Sayomi." I waved at them, at last being left alone with Deidara.

"You've seen the guards, right?" I asked him as soon as the doors closed.

"Yeah, they're nothing special. I don't even need a healthy leg to take them out, un." I chuckled. "One would think they'll put Anbu next to my bed."

Maybe Anbu was keeping an eye on him. Both of us knew very well they don't operate as the rest of the shinobi do. But it was pointless to think about them now.

I reached into my pouch, pulling out his eye-piece. "Is this it?"

"Yeah, but I might need to repair it." He tossed it in his palm before giving it back. "Hokage seemed worried Akatsuki may attack Konoha because you're here. You know, as in they might want to rescue you." He made a face. "They wouldn't do that, un."

"I told them that but it's not like I know how Akatsuki's like." I shrugged.

"They would have gone and dug Hidan up if they really cared."

"They wouldn't be able to enter the forest." I added absent-mindedly. "Anyway, after the interrogation we're free to go. Though that depends on your leg."

"It's fine, un." I noticed a bandaid patch on his side so I guess he had a cracked rib on top of all other injuries. He didn't look as beaten anymore, but I could see he was tired. His long blond hair fell over his back and shoulders like a curtain, with bangs hiding his left eye. It's been a while since I've seen him with his hair completely down, so this showed how long it became.

Then I inhaled, lowering my voice. "I've managed to persuade Hokage to not put you in genjutsu for the interrogation."

"What?"

"I told her you won't agree to be interrogated if it's by genjutsu, because of Itachi and what he's done to you. They have a guy that will know if you're lying so we settled on that." He seemed to be in slight disbelief about them agreeing to this.

"So don't tell them Onoki contracted Akatsuki for jobs. And don't tell them you were behind Kazekage's abduction." Hokage read me correctly. I needed to keep a couple of secrets so I can use them in the long run.

"Is that why you've made them agree to not use genjutsu on me? Because of what I did to the Kazekage, un?" I waved my palm up and down in an attempt to silence him, glancing at the doors to see if the guards heard him.

"Just tell them you were behind the passage and not that you fought with him."

"You just said they'll know if I'm lying." He hissed, catching my memo about the guards and keeping quiet.

"Lying would be if you tell them you didn't do it. Not if you omit some parts."

"Why does it matter if I say that I was behind that?" His eyes narrowed.

"If Hokage starts to suspect you did anything to a single Konoha shinobi she won't let us leave."

"Kazekage has nothing to do with Konoha, un." He gripped the edge of the bed, leaning towards me.

"They have good relations with Suna. Look, focus on Akatsuki's goals and plans, and if it comes to it, omit a couple of details."

"That's not a good enough reason, Say." He didn't look pleased and I was about to leave to avoid having to explain it but then something strange caught my eye. I furrowed my brows in confusion, moving his bangs away with my fingers. "Why is your eye closed?"

I changed the topic so suddenly it took him a moment to register my question. "I trained it to break through genjutsu and to see on long distances. It's better if I keep it closed, un."

I smiled, moving my hand away and letting the bangs sway back in place. He really grew in those three years and the change was visible on both his looks and his abilities. I wondered what else he now had in his arsenal.

"You'll have to tell me all about it once I get back." I really needed to go and eat something. I was starving, and Yoshino's cooking was something straight out of heaven. I raised my fingers in a seal.

"Oi-" He knew I was deliberately ignoring his questions, but it was something I had to do for the time being. Explaining my plan would take too long, and he'd probably grow annoyed by me thinking so much about every little thing.

So I was counting on him to trust in what I'm doing.

* * *

 **I'm not really writing as consistently as I had been during uni, so it's 50% my fault chapters are coming every two weeks and 50% is summer vacation's fault, I hate it, take me back.**

 **Ino's wiki page says she is able to determine a person's occupation by glancing at the condition of their hands and I think that's really cool. Kind of like Sherlock Holmes lol. And now that Sayomi and Ino redirected the two platoons, the plot hole is solved (since Deidara didn't die, the platoons didn't see his C0 and without seeing it had no reason to go in that part of the woods.) All is good now.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, 70 people reading this is really mind-blowing. I promise I'll get back to posting every week, just bear with me for a little bit.**


	34. Part 2, Chapter 14

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Once I stuffed myself with Yoshino's cooking I teleported back to the hospital. It felt wrong to leave Deidara alone in any hospital that's not in Iwa, and I didn't completely warm up to the idea of those guards being there all the time. So I went back to keep him company, except I kinda failed in that part because I didn't stay awake for long. I was exhausted from everything that happened that day; running around, teleporting on long distances numerous times, talking and negotiating – needless to say I was tired on multiple levels. That's why I straight up collapsed on that couch near his bed and fell asleep.

Nurse's arrival in the morning woke me up. She came to check Deidara's leg, doing another round of healing. I forced myself to sit up, blinking sleep from my eyes and thinking how I should probably tell someone we were awake and ready for interrogation, but maybe not right now. That's when Shikaku opened the doors of the room, calling me to step outside.

"Interrogation will be in half an hour-"

"Already? Isn't it too early?" I cut him off with a yawn.

"It's almost nine in the morning, Sayomi." I was still tired though. But okay, I guess it wasn't as early as I thought.

"I'll show you where it's going to be so you can take him there. I suspect he still can't walk." I nodded and he did a step to the side, turning his back to the guards that were positioned nearby.

"Tsunade-hime didn't change her mind about the interrogation. The deal stands and Deidara won't be subjected to genjutsu. I must admit, I thought she would call it off."

"Why didn't she?"

"My guess is that she didn't think you'll talk her into agreeing. That's why she summoned Katsuyu, both as a means to stop you if you decide to attack anyone, and to have her talk to you, so she can better judge your character. She must have come to the same conclusion I did, and that is that you're going this far in order not to incriminate Deidara."

"The way she put it yesterday, it sounded like she thinks I don't want to incriminate Onoki, not Deidara." He tilted his head as I glanced at the guards. "Deidara didn't do anything to Konoha shinobi, that's the deal I had with Shikamaru. Everything else is irrelevant."

"There were some rumours Jiraiya mentioned once he came back to the village. One of them was that Akatsuki hides in Kirigakure, and the other was that Akatsuki had no problem taking jobs away from shinobi of Five Great Nations." He caught my hint.

"Well, the Kirigakure one is incorrect."

"I see. I trust you wouldn't lie to Shikamaru." I shook my head at that and he cleared his throat. "Then it's one thing less to worry about."

If I wish to blackmail Onoki with the fact that he contracted Akatsuki instead of Iwa shinobi, I can't explicitly say it to Hokage. I can't say it to anyone. But if I silently confirm their suspicions, my blackmail should work just the same, and the benefit of it is that Hokage won't think Deidara and me are hiding something worse than that.

The nurse exited the room then, approaching the two of us. "He will be ready in time for questioning. But…if I may suggest something?" I raised my brow at her.

"It would be for the best if we sew shut that kinjutsu on his palms." I stared at her, wondering if she did just say what I think she did.

"Pfft, no way he'll agree on that." I crossed my hands but Shikaku turned to me. "It may help shift the attention from him stealing a kinjutsu and defecting the village."

"They are interrogating him because he is an ex-member of the Akatsuki, not because he left Iwa." I was ready to argue over this. I just couldn't help myself whenever Deidara's kinjutsu came into play, because everyone always had the same reaction. Which is exactly why I, out of sheer spite, decided to accept it and defend it in front of everyone else.

"Maybe he will understand where we're coming from." Shikaku said.

"Fine, I'll go ask him." I marched back into the room, taking a stand in front of Deidara just as he pulled a black T-shirt over his head.

"They think you should sew the mouths on your palms shut before the interrogation and I told them there's no way but they insist I ask you-" I said in one breath, my feet ready to go back to the doors right away and tell them he said no, but he stopped me halfway.

"Yeah, they already asked me that yesterday, un." I blinked. "What?"

"They seriously don't like looking at them." I could see in the way he talked about it that he honestly didn't care and that he got used to the reactions, but I still felt ticked off at them. Which is why I didn't understand him not sharing my sentiment.

"I thought you'd be a bit more angry about it." He frowned. "Everyone always has the same reaction, so much it's become predictable."

I crossed my hands, tapping my fingers on my arm.

"They can do it if they really must, un. I'll just pull the stitches out later." He shrugged but then noticed my face. "They can't get rid of it how much they want to, which pisses them off more than they piss me off."

"I didn't have that reaction." I muttered and his forearms slid closer to his knees, his whole body leaning forward and his hair falling around his face. "Yeah you did." He smirked.

"I didn't." I said as I went towards the doors, only to hear him laughing behind me. "I thought you had good memory, Say. Now it looks like you don't, un."

"I didn't have that reaction for long!" I yelled, shutting the doors behind me, making everyone in the hallway look at me.

"I don't know, you go and ask him." I told the nurse before she could even open her mouth. She shared a confused look with Shikaku as he cleared his throat.

"Well, we'll be going now." So I followed him to the interrogation office, that more or less looked what I expected it to be; a small windowless room with only one table and two chairs. Standing in front of the room and talking with a couple of shinobi was a man in a black trench coat with two parallel scars going across the middle of his face. His headband was on his forehead, tied onto a bandana, and there was nothing sympathetic about his look – it was pure business.

He noticed the two of us approaching so he turned, greeting Shikaku with a slight nod.

"This is Ibiki Morino, he will be your interrogator." I bowed my head, trying to keep myself calm and emotionless.

"I don't like this, Shikaku." He glared at him. "Just because she's your niece doesn't mean you can talk Tsunade-hime into agreeing to not put these two in genjutsu. That just doesn't sound smart to me."

"I had nothing to do with it. The one who talked with Tsunade-hime was entirely her." Ibiki gave me a look as if I just killed someone in front of him.

"No lie goes past me." I realized he was trying to scare me into complying and being truthful, but since that was my plan from the get-go this only made me irritated. Even more so because I knew I have to be as polite as possible and all that in order not to cause any incidents.

"I'll go get Deidara." I said to Shikaku, turning around and walking back where we came from. I didn't want Ibiki to know what my jutsu does, which is why I decided to put some distance between me and him before I teleport. If things take a turn for the worse at any moment, I can always grab Deidara and teleport the hell out of here. The only way I can succeed in that is if I have the element of surprise on my side, and for that I needed to limit the amount of people who know about my Shadow Teleportation.

Once I was out of their view I teleported back to Deidara's room, observing him gathering half of his hair on top of his head, hair tie in-between his teeth.

"What?" He managed to utter as I tried not to laugh. He looked cute though.

He managed to stand up by himself and I came closer, letting him lean on me again prior to making my seal. As far as Ibiki was concerned, I was just really fast and really strong to be able to bring Deidara to the interrogation room all by myself. Deidara sat opposite of the doors, me on his right, and as Ibiki entered in I saw two shinobi from before taking their positions in front of the doors.

I was feeling fine until I took a seat on that chair. As soon as the doors closed and we were left alone in that small room with Ibiki, I remembered something Rin-sensei told me a long time ago, while she was training me for Anbu. Back then I didn't take what she said seriously, and she herself didn't put much weight on her words, but that might have been because she said it to me in the middle of her game of shogi.

She was losing against Masaki, as usual, and I had nothing better to do but to watch. I was shaking my head at her decision to sacrifice her piece for a move, thinking she could have done something better than that, and she noticed my disapproval. She looked at me as she took another green-tea flavoured mochi from the plate beside her.

"If it comes to it, shinobi have to be willing to sacrifice their lives to stop their enemies from advancing."

And now it hit me that no wonder Ibiki wasn't taking us seriously. Shinobi would rather die than succumb to enemy interrogation, so what we were doing right now seemed unnatural. Hell, when I proposed that I thought it was the easiest thing in the world; just sit down and tell it all. That line of thinking was true in my situation because I had nothing valuable to share, but for them the mere thought than an ex-Akatsuki member was willing to leak info must have set all the alarms.

I looked at Deidara as he leaned on his chair, hands crossed, not looking bothered at all by any of this which Ibiki immediately noticed. He slammed his hands on the table, towering over Deidara.

"You youngsters probably don't know a lot about me, but I am one of Konoha's best interrogators. There isn't a single shinobi that didn't crack from my psychological and physical torture. Tsunade-hime says I'm not allowed to do that when it comes to you two, because of some deal this sneaky Nara made-" he looked at me from the corner of his eye "-so I won't. But if I sense either of you lying, I will have to resort to it. And by the looks of it I'm not sure she could take any kind of physical torture."

It was a stare off. I stared at Ibiki, my fists balled because he wasn't really wrong on that part and I didn't like that; Ibiki stared at Deidara and Deidara glared right back.

Was it so painfully obvious to everyone that I couldn't handle pain? No, he can't know that much about me just by looking at me. Maybe he thinks that because I'm female, which is just disrespectful. I should call him out on it if that's his only argument. But speaking up and saying I'm actually good at handling pain would be a lie and he'd know it.

Fuck the intelligence unit, I'm keeping my mouth shut. They can't know I'm lying if I stay silent.

I hope.

"For starters, I have to check how you've joined the Akatsuki in the first place." He removed his hands from the table, his stare still focused on Deidara.

"Itachi Uchiha made a bet with me, un. If he defeats me in battle I have to join the Akatsuki."

"How did he know about you?"

"The Akatsuki heard about me because of commissions I made in Land of Earth after I left Iwa. Leader sent him, Kisame, and Sasori, to recruit me."

"And?" Ibiki looked at me and I blinked, confused by his sudden flip to me.

"Itachi put him in genjutsu and he lost. So he joined the Akatsuki."

"Tell me about that leader of yours." He looked back at Deidara.

"He calls himself Pein, but we all called him Leader, un."

"How does he look?"

"I don't know." Deidara fired back, his face blank for the most part, but I could see in the way he stared at Ibiki that he's annoyed by him.

"You don't know?"

"He talked to us by astral projections, so no, I don't know how he looks." Yeah, he was definitely annoyed, but wasn't the only one. Ibiki was getting annoyed by his answers, or more likely, annoyed by the fact that Deidara didn't lie yet.

"What are his abilities?"

"I don't know." Ibiki tapped with his fingers on the table.

"What do you think his abilities are?" He changed his question.

"Long monologues, un." I had to look down at my lap to keep myself from laughing.

"Why is that?"

"Akatsuki's plan has several steps, and he always took his time to explain it. Really took his time, un."

"Let me hear that plan of yours."

I only heard short version from Deidara, but now that he got it down to all the little details, it more or less proved he honestly heard this plan quite a few times. By the end of it I was wondering how that Pein guy even came up with such a thing, while Ibiki didn't look pleased.

"How many bijuu do they have?"

"They don't have Hachibi and Kyuubi." Akatsuki was truly something. I could scoff at their insane plan how much I wanted, they went ahead and took seven tailed beasts from Five Great Nations. Doing all that in absolute secrecy, with only Konoha actively thinning their ranks, they sure played every other Nation like a fool.

"And you helped them with-" So it has begun. I know I said to Deidara how he should omit he had anything to do with the Kazekage, but right now I was torn. I still thought he could do it, but I also hoped he'll know when to give up in order not to compromise himself. Catching either of us lying could prove disastrous.

I also hoped Ibiki won't ask me that question. To even attempt lying to him I'd first have to convince myself that everything I read in that report in Suna was the real truth. He can't tell I'm lying if I myself believe the lie I'm telling. I didn't want to test that theory though.

"All of them, un. We had to help extract the bijuu once the jinchuuriki was caught."

"How do you do that?"

"Pein has a summon that can do that if there are enough people focusing chakra. That's what we were for."

"And what about the bijuu you caught?"

"Sanbi." Deidara said it so casually Ibiki's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

"He was without a jinchuuriki host, that's why I got it, un." Deidara was good. He didn't even register Ibiki as a threat, and he could certainly hold eye contact. I was silently cheering him on while also trying not to show any reactions to Deidara's words. I really didn't need Ibiki thinking Deidara's lying because of something _I_ did.

"We have intel that Akatsuki always travels in teams of two. Kisame and Itachi, Kakuzu and Hidan, you and-" Great, now he'll catch onto Sasori and that could get rocky.

"Tobi." Deidara said and though I managed to stay calm despite such an unexpected answer, I had to sneak a glance at Ibiki. His face didn't give the impression that he caught Deidara lying, so…was he lying or not?

"Who's that?"

"An idiot I was paired up with." Deidara frowned, as if he could picture Tobi in his mind right now. I had to conclude he wasn't lying, even though it was weird. He told me his partner was Sasori, not Tobi.

"How does he look like? We don't have any intel about him."

"He always wore an orange mask over his face, so I don't know, un." Okay, this seemed a little too good to be true but so far Ibiki was buying it.

"And no, I don't know what his abilities are either, except being an ass."

"Our shinobi killed Sasori of the Red Sand because he abducted the Kazekage, but he was without a partner. Why is that?" Back on fricking Sasori, now when I finally thought we managed to avoid him.

"Orochimaru was his partner before he left the organisation." Deidara answered without missing a beat.

"What are Akatsuki's plans for catching Kyuubi?" Now that one was unexpected.

"Itachi got him as his quota, so he should be the one to do it, un."

"And for Hachibi?"

"I don't know who got him as his quota." He shrugged.

"How many members remain?"

"Without me, six."

"So, Itachi, Kisame, Pein, that Tobi fellow-"

"Zetsu and one other who I don't know."

"You don't know him?" Ibiki raised his eyebrow. "Stayed silent the whole time, un. Leader's partner is my guess."

"What about Zetsu?"

"He's intelligence and reckon. As for his ability, he uses his clones to gather information and appear wherever he wants." Ibiki didn't like that either.

"Where was the last place you saw all of them?"

"We communicated via astral projections, so rarely did I see all of them in person."

"Right, astral projections. How does that work?"

"We send out our chakra to Pein using the rings, un. Once the connection is made, we communicate with our thoughts." So that was the deal with the ring. I remembered him throwing away a ring, but I didn't ask him about it. In that moment I had other things to worry about.

"You don't have that ring anymore?" He pointed at Deidara's crossed hands.

"I threw it away."

"Why?"

"So he couldn't contact me."

"When?"

"When she interrupted my battle with Sasuke, un." He was all in as soon as he threw that ring away and I didn't even know that action was so significant.

"Why did you fight with Sasuke?"

"I had a choice between him and Kyuubi's jinchuuriki because they were both close to me. I chose Sasuke."

"Why?"

"Because Kyuubi's jinchuuriki had company and I wasn't about to take on two Konoha teams, un." I furrowed my brows. Kyuubi was with the two platoons?

"You said Kyuubi is Itachi's quota, which means you don't have an obligation to go after him. So why go after him at all?" Yeah, I was interested in that too.

"The rumour is that Kyuubi's jinchuuriki is quite powerful, so I wanted to see it for myself." I was giving Deidara a look that more or less said: don't tell them that for crying out loud!

"So why did you approach Sasuke instead?"

"He was on his own, and I wanted to take down at least one of those damned Uchiha's. Getting rid of him would have lured Kyuubi out, un." My eyes were widened and I wanted to shut him up so badly. The hell was he thinking, saying all that so casually?

"Then what happened?"

"Sasuke with that Sharingan of his completely ignored my art, and that pissed me the fuck off!" I could see Ibiki was confused about 'art' part, but didn't ask him to explain.

"Unfortunately he's still alive, so I didn't get a chance to go after Kyuubi, un." I wanted to kick his leg under the table to shut him up, and the only reason I didn't do it was because I was concerned about kicking his injured leg and condemning us for a couple of extra days in Konoha.

"So you didn't kill Sasuke because-" Deidara looked at me and I raised my brows, recalling how it looked as I found him.

"Why am I the reason you didn't kill him?" I broke my silence.

"I would have killed him if you hadn't come." He said, sounding absolutely sure of it. I didn't know whether to feel guilty because he obviously wanted to kill Sasuke and I prevented him from doing that, or to call bullshit and argue that there was no way he could have managed to kill him while in that beaten state. Their chakra reserve was at its limit by the time I arrived.

Except that I myself doubted that. It wasn't impossible that Deidara had one more trick up his sleeve – it would be just like him to have something extra prepared. I was just really pissed he so openly thought I was the one to blame.

"You could have killed him while I was in genjutsu." I argued, connecting all the dots in my head. "You said Sasuke got away by summoning a giant snake, but that the snake should be dead which means you could have taken care of Sasuke too, and not just kill his giant snake."

"That snake was a child's play, un. I couldn't move and still managed to send it to its grave. Sasuke wouldn't go down with just that." He kept looking at me, both of us ignoring Ibiki and the ongoing interrogation.

"Then why didn't you do something bigger if you say you could've?" I insisted, leaning forward.

"Because I couldn't move!"

"While I was in genjutsu?" He seemed to be getting more and more pissed off but I didn't care, I wanted to know why is he using me as an excuse.

"Well your jutsu kept going while you were in genjutsu, un!"

"That's impossible!"

"This is how I found you!" Deidara made a rat seal and Ibiki jumped, his hand moving to his pouch but Deidara only glanced at him with brows furrowed, as if he thinks that reaction was completely uncalled for.

I stared at his fingers in a rat seal, having a feeling he's not lying after all. "Your jutsu ran for ten minutes, if not more, _while_ you were trapped in his genjutsu. I had to wait for it to stop, un."

I remembered the genjutsu Sasuke put me in, and how much I wanted to keep Deidara in Shadow Bind so I don't lose sight of him. Had my wound been real, my jutsu would have stopped the moment I went unconscious. So if I was in genjutsu as soon as I looked at Sasuke, how the hell did my jutsu continue for so long?

"Then how did you get rid of the snake?" I asked once he undid the seal, to Ibiki's relief, even though nothing had happened.

"I forced my hand to break the jutsu once I realized Sasuke's about to escape. I couldn't stomach to watch him walk away like that." He looked at his palm, his eyes narrowing. "Bastard escaped my Karura twice, and still had the nerve to pretend as if he didn't almost die from it, un." His anger didn't diminish at all since the fight, he just buried it deep within.

"So why didn't you kill him then?" The way he talked about that whole fight, it didn't seem like there was any other option that would leave him as satisfied as seeing Sasuke dead. Yet he only got rid of Sasuke's summon, which was unlike Deidara.

He turned back to Ibiki, ignoring my question. "Are we done?"

"Do you intend to go after Kyuubi again?" Ibiki asked, a bit taken aback by us arguing in the middle of the interrogation.

"No, un." He rolled his eyes.

"Do you plan to go back to the Akatsuki?"

"No."

"Will Akatsuki attack Konoha to break you free?"

"If they attack Konoha it will be because they want Kyuubi, not me." Ibiki went towards the doors. "Stay right where you are."

He left us alone and I stared at the wall in front of me, my hands crossed and still angry because of the whole Sasuke thing.

It just didn't make sense to me. Deidara was unable to move because I caught him in my Shadow Bind, though he did break the jutsu, briefly, to kill Sasuke's summon. Whatever killed that snake wouldn't have been enough to kill Sasuke, but why didn't he go with that big thing then instead of just focusing on the snake?

He says it's because he couldn't move but not like he could have moved anyway. His leg was already broken then.

Was he trying to make himself feel better about that whole battle? Perhaps that's why he insisted he would have killed Sasuke had not for my arrival on the battlefield. From what I saw, the battle ended with a tie, though that may not have been the end.

Maybe I really did prevent him from dealing Sasuke a final blow. I for one didn't care about that but Deidara was different. He held his art above everything else, and always boasted to various opponents how powerful and unique it is. He said Sasuke completely ignored it, despite almost getting blown away by it, so that must have really struck a nerve. And then my jutsu forced him to sit there and watch Sasuke leave, making his situation even more humiliating.

I understood all that, but I still felt bothered by his words basically telling me he would have rather I didn't find him in that moment. That kinda hurt.

I found myself blurting out: "I'm not sorry about trapping you in my Shadow Bind, though I guess that does make it my fault that you didn't kill Sasuke. And I would do it again-"

"Tch, it's not the Shadow Bind, un." He muttered just as Ibiki returned, leaving me no time to react to Deidara's weird statement.

"We have to compare everything you just told us with our intel from before, so there is a chance I might call you in later for another round." Great, he could choose to interrogate us how many times he wants while we're still in Konoha.

Ibiki left the door wide open as he went away and I tapped my fingers on the table, debating whether to do my own little interrogation of Deidara or let it go. Something was still bugging me about that whole Sasuke story.

"You're overthinking it." I glared at him from the corner of my eye, but he deliberately looked at the ceiling to avoid it.

"A lot has happened." I shot back.

"Then let's do it somewhere else, I'm sick of this room, un." I sighed.

"Might as well go and get breakfast."

For the time being, I've let it slide.

* * *

 **Konan was always silent during those meetings, so even if Deidara saw other members in person, I kinda have a feeling Pein and Konan would rather choose to remain in the shadows - though I could be wrong about that, it's been a while since I read the manga.**

 **Plus it was so funny to stage this whole interrogation and make Deidara tell nothing of value. I don't need to rewrite the entire canon to suit my story, so I don't have any reason to stop Pein attacking Konoha. Though, Deidara hinted at it, but not like he has any idea that's Pein's plan.**

 **Sayomi stays in the dark for now :) (or shadows lmao)**

 **Thank you so much for reading, and for reviewing if you've dropped a review - I really appreciate it.**


	35. Part 2, Chapter 15

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Sayomi's POV**

As soon as the coast had cleared and Ibiki was nowhere in sight, I teleported Deidara and myself to Shikaku's veranda. The only one home was Yoshino who, although glad we came, quickly got upset by the real reason for our arrival.

"What do you mean is there any breakfast left? You didn't eat anything the entire morning?" She put her hands on her hips and I leaned away from her slightly, regretting my question.

"Well we had to do the interrogation first thing in the morning-"

"So it's Shikaku's fault." Her eyes narrowed while I wondered how she made that connection. "He should've told you to go get breakfast before something so stressful."

"We didn't have much time, it's really not his fault." I waved my hands. "Never mind, we'll wait till lunch."

"Lunch won't be for another two hours." That wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"I guess we'll go eat in town then." Yoshino's lips became a straight line as her fingers began tapping on the fabric of her apron wrapped around her hips.

"Orrr not. I think we'll wait here." I sat on the veranda and she smiled. "Good. Don't move." I watched her go back inside, realizing she's started to treat me same way she treats Shikamaru; which felt both strange and nice. I think I was finally getting used to all this family stuff.

While I tried to decipher what time is it based on the sun's position, Deidara shifted his weight on his healthy leg, slowly standing up. He carefully stretched his right leg, swinging it back and forth.

"About the interrogation…" I began, but he continued with his exercises, not sparing me a glance. Many questions arose from that talk with Ibiki, though for now I decided to only focus on any potential setbacks. One of them was Ibiki choosing to go in for a round two and discovering things we managed to hide.

"Did you lie about the Tobi guy?"

"No."

"You told me your partner was Sasori when I asked you about it." I lowered my voice, just in case anyone was near.

"I had two partners. I wasn't lying about Tobi, un."

"And he just conveniently had a mask on his face?" He glanced at me. "Yeah."

"Hah." Maybe we had more luck than I thought.

"This only worked because we weren't put in genjutsu, un."

"I know. I'm sure he has way better methods of finding out whatever he wants when he's allowed to use them." I looked at the blue sky and white clouds traveling above us, shifting my legs so I was in my lotus pose now.

I closed my eyes, trying to get all my thoughts in order. We've survived Konoha's interrogator, managed not to tell him a couple of compromising details, and we're relatively safe…for now. Konoha seems to only know about members Konoha shinobi came in contact with, hence why they have no idea about Zetsu, Tobi, Pein, and that other guy. And because Deidara didn't come in contact with them until now, they don't know enough to connect him to Ichibi and the whole Kazekage ordeal, which definitely worked in our favour.

I told Shikaku and Shikamaru how Deidara needed that kinjutsu to expand his abilities, though I didn't exactly disclose what those abilities are. We knew each other's jutsu as good as our own, well, three years ago we did. I doubt I could go into details about it right now, but I knew the basics of it. Besides, he told me Raiton is his weak point after his fight with Sasuke. And although I didn't tell him weaknesses of my Shadow Teleportation, he probably formed his educated guesses by now, based on what he knows about my jutsu from before.

So long as that's limited to the two of us, we're good. I tried my best in restricting other people's knowledge about my jutsu; except Shikaku and Shikamaru who were aware of my jutsu relying on shadows, everyone else only thought I use a space-time ninjutsu. I didn't disclose its weak points to anyone, and I planned to keep it that way. It's to my advantage if everyone thinks my jutsu can only be countered by stopping me before I make my seal.

I had a feeling Ibiki will come in for a round two, with a bunch of new questions all those 'advisors' thought up. Konoha might have their own list of possible Akatsuki hideouts, so they could ask Deidara to confirm or deny it. They will take advantage of Deidara while he's here, no doubt about it.

I was slowly reaching my limit here. Worrying that Konoha shinobi will all of a sudden change their minds and move to kill us really made me wish I could leave already.

Crap, what if Akatsuki decides to go after us too? Maybe they had found out Deidara was taken to Konoha and-oh goddamit that's why Hokage asked me that. If they know Deidara is in Konoha they could move out to attack it to prevent Deidara leaking intel. Hokage more or less had the same line of thinking, only in her mind Akatsuki would come here to save Deidara.

Well it's too late now. If Akatsuki planned to kill Deidara to keep his mouth shut, they should have done that yesterday. I guess it's nothing to worry about after all.

No, what if they do come after him for revenge? Their whole plan is now compromised, might as well unleash that anger on Deidara. How the hell are we supposed to make it to Iwa without getting attacked by Akatsuki?

Well, if it comes to it, my jutsu should be enough to escape and possibly evade the enemy altogether. Plan B is to fight, but that could prove to be tricky if I have to protect Deidara and think of a way to win with my set of abilities. That's what I get for having no good offense jutsus.

If it comes to it, I guess it'd be stupid to not be prepared...

I went for my pouch, trying to feel that scroll from long ago. I knew for a fact I still had it.

"I thought you were meditating, un."

I opened my eyes, seeing Deidara standing on one leg like a crane, his hands behind his head.

"Not really." I carried two pouches with me: smaller one on my waist is where I stashed my kunai and my book, and the larger one on my lower back was packed with scrolls in which I had sealed a change of clothes and money. I thought that particular scroll was in my smaller pouch, but I couldn't feel it.

I took out everything I had in my pouches, checking the label on every scroll.

"What are you doing?" He paced back and forth in front of me as I came across the only scroll with no label. Good thing I still had that with me. Who knows if I'd be able to procure it right now, and it was just the matter of time before we need it.

"Nothing, checking something." I returned the rest of the scrolls to my pouch, except that one, which I transferred to my smaller one.

"Anyway, I think Ibiki will definitely come in for a round two." I placed my hands back in my lap, feeling more at peace. In case we get attacked, doesn't even matter by whom, I had two plans ready. That put me in a slightly better mood.

"For what?"

"He could ask you about locations of your hideouts. Who knows what Konoha plans to do regarding the Akatsuki problem. Besides, Konoha shinobi don't seem to know all that much about Zetsu, while you do."

"Well I can't give him a better description of Zetsu's abilities than I already did." He finished with his exercise, sitting back on the veranda.

"You think you'll be able to walk normally soon?" I eyed his leg.

"How soon?"

"Tomorrow?" I tried and he deadpanned. "I don't think so, un. It'd be a very slow walk to Iwa." All of a sudden his eyes lit up.

"Unless…"

"I can't teleport us that far." I put a stop to it before he could even suggest it. After all, there were limits to how convenient my jutsu can get, and Iwa's distance definitely exceeded my limits. I could speed up our journey to some extent, but other than that we had no other choice except walking all the way.

"I had something better in mind."

"What's wrong with my teleportation?" He rolled his eyes. "You just said you can't teleport us to Iwa, un."

"So what's that better thing?"

"We can fly back." He smirked. "It's the fastest way to travel and it doesn't require my leg being fully healed. And if I remember correctly, you didn't get to try it yet."

"Because you and Onoki went at each other before I could." I muttered.

"So just find me some clay and I'll give you a ride, un." His offer was so tempting and he himself looked excited about it, which is why I hated my next words with all my heart.

"You know I can't give you clay. You're technically a prisoner, you can't have anything that could be considered a weapon on you." He frowned.

"You can give it to me after we leave Konoha if you're so worried about it."

"How am I supposed to even get it? Asking for something so specific would be a dead giveaway that might get them to think we're asking for trouble. And this is Konoha we're talking about, I honestly doubt they have clay here in the first place." Iwa had such soil in its close proximity, lots of it, that's why clay was a standard thing in the shinobi storage. Getting clay in Konoha may be a lot harder.

"Just ask your cousin to do it, what's the big deal?"

"Again, you're a prisoner, we can't risk it." He opened his mouth but I cut him off. "And no, I can't use my jutsu to get you some either." I didn't want to play around like that right now. Sneaking about was something I did during my search for Deidara, now it was out of the question. Especially in Konoha.

"And what if we get attacked on our way to Iwa. How will I fight then?" He stared me down, thinking he got me.

"We'll get attacked by Akatsuki if they see you flying around!"

"Akatsuki thinks I'm dead, un." He looked away and I furrowed my brows. "Based on what?" He didn't answer me, as creaking of floorboards coming from the other end of veranda announced we weren't alone any longer.

I turned around just as Shikamaru peeked from the corner, not hiding his yawn.

"Mom says you can sit inside if you want. Lunch should be soon." I stood up, glancing at Deidara. "Need my help getting there, or do you have something better than my teleportation?"

He scowled. "I'll walk."

I followed close behind just in case he loses his balance. In the end there was no need for assistance, but despite managing to get there all by himself, he wasn't exactly fast in doing so. He didn't show any signs of pain, but he'd definitely strain his leg attempting to make that trip to Iwa without being fully healed.

Kitchen smelled divine. Smell of Yoshino's cooking placed a smile on my hungry self as Deidara and I sat at the table, opposite of one another. Shikamaru sat next to me, placing his crossed hands on the table and then burying his head between them.

"Shikamaru, show some manners!" Yoshino yelled as she approached us, but he only let out a "Mhm", not bothering to look up. I thought Yoshino would scold him again, instead she put her hand on my shoulder, turning to Deidara with a smile.

"Oh, you have no idea how absolutely lovely she is!" Deidara blinked in confusion, but Yoshino continued; "She appreciates my cooking on a different level, every mother would want her."

I looked at her with eyes wide, wondering what got into her again.

"Remember this Shikamaru, a woman who likes to eat likes to cook, and does it well." She was wrong about that, I couldn't cook at all.

Shikamaru stirred his head, half of his face now turned to us. "Marrying someone is the biggest drag I can imagine."

"You'll remember my words in due time, Shikamaru."

"I don't even care about food that much. Give that advice to Chouji instead." Deidara's face showed he was weirded out by the conversation, and I understood his sentiment.

"What's that 'different level appreciation', exactly?" For some reason I looked like a renowned food critic in Yoshino's mind and I couldn't pinpoint how she got that idea.

"Well every food is your favorite." She beamed and though I wanted to say how that's not true, nothing came to mind when I thought about my favorite food. I pursed my lips in thinking.

"No, you just didn't ask her what her favorite food is." Shikamaru raised his head slightly.

"Uuuh…I'm not sure I have a favorite." Yoshino gave Shikamaru a 'told you so' smile, making him exhale and bury his head in his hands again.

"She's not normal, I could've told you that." Deidara finally joined the conversation, prompting Shikamaru to let out a muffled: "Women."

"No, wait. It's Suna's food." Yeah, that seemed to be right.

"Suna's? As in Sunagakure's?" Yoshino asked and I nodded.

"In all other villages you have to specifically ask for something to be spicy, and even that won't guarantee you'll get it spicy. But in Suna you actually get to choose how spicy you want your dish to be – it's the best thing in the world! Spicy yakitori, spicy okonomiyaki, spicy donburi-" I held my fingers in the air, listing things. "They have the best cuisine out of all hidden villages!"

The silence lasted for a moment before Shikamaru blurted out a confused: "Spicy?"

"Why is that the best cuisine out of all hidden villages?" And just like that, Yoshino's question prompted me to blab some more.

"Iwa does have spicy food, unlike most other villages, but it's not on the same level. In retrospect, Iwa has the best meat choice. Kirigakure on the other hand excels at seafood."

"Makes sense." Shikamaru muttered, peeking from under his arms.

"Though best sushi places are on islands around Kiri. Yugakure and Shimogakure are great for soups and stews, while Kumogakure has best steamed foods, so they have varieties of mochi, but in terms of savory food, steamed pork buns are Kumo's staple. Kusagakure uses a lot of wild game in their food, Takiagakure freshwater fish, while Land of Fire has different regional meals, even though you have the most soba restaurants than any other nation. And because Land of Fire is so big, Konoha doesn't have its own specific cuisine, it's rather a mishmash." I could see all three had their eyes on me so I deliberately stared at the table, trying not to feel embarrassed by rambling too much.

"Then why didn't you tell me you like spicy food!" Yoshino put her hands on her hips.

"I mean, I like non-spicy food too."

"I told you she has her favourite food." Shikamaru snickered and Yoshino pinched his ear, making him squint in pain. "What did you say?"

"I'm sorry already! Geez..." She let him go, going back to the stove all the while muttering something about not knowing how to cook spicy food.

"She should be the one to tell me sorry. Unbelievable." Shikamaru rubbed his ear so I finally looked up, seeing Deidara's eyes on me.

"What?" I tried not to blush as I looked up at him.

"You always went for the spiciest thing on the menu, so this doesn't really surprise me, un."

"I guess."

"You've really traveled a lot." Shikamaru let out another yawn.

"Yeah, but you don't really notice it until you start retracing your steps. I first went to Kirigakure, then through Land of Rivers to Suna, Amegakure, Kusagakure, Takiagakure-" I moved my finger across the table, tracking the villages both with my words and with my movements. "From Takiagakure I entered Land of Fire again, going north of Konoha and to Yugakure, Shimogakure, and finally Kumo." I tapped with my finger.

"Two years of walking, but seeing new places was interesting. I don't think a lot of shinobi can say they've traveled the whole continent, hell, some probably never left their own Nation."

"Iwa shinobi especially." Deidara said and he definitely wasn't in the wrong.

"I didn't either. Rarely do we get missions that take us that far and Land of Fire is huge to begin with." Shikamaru added.

"Well I didn't have a wish to travel so much at first. I went to Kirigakure only because I wanted to see the ocean. That was amazing." I grinned at the thought. "After Kiri I went to Suna, where I got hooked up on their food. So I figured every place has to have something great about it, like those two did, and from then on I got really curious." There was also my mission to track down the Akatsuki, and only through travel and snooping around could I acquire clues about them. That was the reason I started, but over time I learned to appreciate other things I saw and experienced on my travels.

"I'd go to the shore again, and to Suna. Though I bet some restaurants in Suna would remember me coming in for the third time." I smiled at the thought, realizing what I've done as soon as Deidara raised his brow at my words.

"You went to Suna twice already?" Shikamaru asked me and I mentally cursed. Good going Sayomi.

"Yeah, after Kumo." I tried to pass it off as normally as possible. "My plan was to go to Konoha but I kinda didn't want to meet you yet so I went to Suna first."

"Seems too big of a detour."

"I made a bigger detour when I wanted to avoid Otogakure. That and Ishiagakure are the only places I didn't go to." I switched the topic.

"I get why you didn't go to Otogakure, but why Ishiagakure?"

I frowned, trying to word out my explanation the best I could. Deidara caught me struggling so he looked at Shikamaru, answering on my behalf: "They're annoying."

I chuckled, knowing that the real reason was dumb to begin with so the answer worked.

"Huh?"

"Shikamaru, can you ask your mom how much longer we'll have to wait?" All that food talk made me even hungrier. I've had enough of waiting.

"No way, ask her yourself." He rolled his eyes.

"We should've gone to Ichiraku." I muttered to no one in particular. "They have really good spicy ramen."

"That's a first. I didn't know Ichiraku has spicy ramen." Shikamaru raised his brow.

"Yeah, one of the best I've tried so far. Poor Naruto couldn't handle it." I chuckled to myself, only to catch Shikamaru and Deidara staring at me with their eyes wide.

"You ate ramen with Kyuubi's jinchuuriki, un?" I blinked in confusion while he seemed to be at his wits end. "Kyuubi's jinchuuriki? What?" I turned to Shikamaru who exhaled.

"He's right."

That's when I remembered Deidara said he had a choice to go after Kyuubi's jinchuuriki or Sasuke, except that the Kyuubi had two platoons tagging along while Sasuke was alone. I met with the platoons, yet how was I supposed to guess Naruto was the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. The only thing I knew about him was that he cannot handle spicy Ichiraku ramen and that Jiraiya is his sensei.

Though the kid had spirit, but that told me nothing of his abilities, nor the fact that he has a tailed beast sealed inside him.

"Wait, why are you letting him search for Sasuke with the Akatsuki roaming around? Shouldn't he stay in the village instead?" I turned to Shikamaru.

"It's impossible for him to stay put."

"Itachi got Kyuubi as his quota, and the platoons are searching for both him and Sasuke. He's basically going straight towards Itachi. This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of!"

"He's a lot stronger than you think." Shikamaru argued.

"How strong?" Deidara asked and I pointed my finger at him. "Will you drop it already? You told Ibiki you don't plan to go after Kyuubi again."

"I don't plan to, but I still want to fight him, un."

"Why do you want to fight him so badly? I get Itachi, I get Sasuke, but what's with the Kyuubi?"

"Could you stop calling him Kyuubi? His name is Naruto." I glanced at Shikamaru.

"Why do you want to fight Naruto?" I repeated my question, shifting my gaze back to Deidara.

"An artist's passion starts to dull unless they seek greater stimulation." I opened my mouth to tell him off but stopped myself, since this really was no place for such conversation. He saw he got me there so he raised his chin in a gloating manner.

I looked away, feeling ticked off.

"That doesn't make any sense." Shikamaru said as I stared at the window on the other end of the room. "Never mind him, Shikamaru."

"I'm not worried about Naruto, or about anyone from Konoha for that matter." He continued and I made a face, knowing where this is going already.

"Because we shook on it, didn't we, _cousin_?" Shikamaru sneered. "Yeah, yeah. No need to remind me." I exhaled.

Deidara looked at me, confusion visible in his features, but when I didn't answer he turned to Shikamaru instead.

"She promised me she'll take you out if you go after a single Konoha shinobi." And just like that Deidara's face twisted into the biggest smirk.

"You should've told me that earlier. I was on my best behavior here, un." I glared at Deidara. "Looks like you have to fight me now, Say."

"No."

"But you promised him."

"Only if you attack some-no I won't!" Now I've made it worse.

"So any Konoha shinobi will do the trick?" He really didn't know when to drop it.

"That was the agreement." Shikamaru confirmed.

"Why are you humoring him?" I needed Yoshino to pull Shikamaru by his ear again. He should be on my side here.

"It's your fault for promising me something you know he'd want." All of a sudden it became my fault.

"Okay fine, I'll fight." I gave up and Deidara grinned. "If you tell me why you insist on fighting Naruto."

"I told you, un. I need greater stimulation for my art to grow."

I sighed. I don't know why I thought he'll change his answer. "Okay fine, I'll fight you once we come back to Iwa. Just forget all about fighting Naruto." Even though I trusted him when he said to Ibiki he doesn't plan to go after Kyuubi again. I just didn't want Shikamaru to think our agreement backfired.

Deidara didn't say anything as he leaned on his chair, however I could tell that he won't forget my words just now. He already had his schedule filled with fights as soon as he steps foot in Iwa, though he definitely didn't mind it.

"Shikamaru, can you come help me for a second?" Yoshino called from the other end of the room and he stood up with a groan. "I swear she cooks more than usual lately."

Definitely my fault. Yoshino was too hospitable.

Deidara kept looking at his palm, lost in thoughts, before saying: "You're at least C2 level opponent, un." I didn't know what that meant but I could've sworn it was some new powerful jutsu he devised.

I raised my bare hands, my face trying to convey why I really didn't want to fight him.

He deadpanned, pointing at my scars. "You asked me to throw that kunai."

"Yeah I know." Not like I was blaming him. "I just don't think there's any point in us fighting. You'd win."

"We didn't fight yet."

"Oh please. I don't have any offense jutsu, and you know it."

"So?" He asked and I threw my hands in the air. "Then what's the point?"

"You have a space-time ninjutsu, and I want to test how fast it is, un."

"You wanted to fight me even when I didn't have it." I muttered.

"You've promised though." He really enjoyed cornering me like this, and not knowing what else to say, I stuck my tongue out at him. He raised both of his palms in the air, hand-mouths sticking their tongues out just the same. That, paired up with Deidara's victorious face, made me burst out laughing.

"Yoshino, is Sayomi here?" Shikaku's voice echoed from the hallway all of a sudden, making me stop laughing.

"I'm here!" I yelled back.

"Ibiki has called you two for a follow up." I sighed.

"Let them eat first, Shikaku." Yoshino argued as Shikaku emerged from the hallway. "He's already here." He motioned towards the doors. "He couldn't find them in the hospital so he came to me. He was moments away from calling the guards to track you." He looked at me and I tried not to show how annoyed I was. I did guess correctly he'd come for a round two, but not that he'd come so soon.

I was seconds away from finally eating more so.

Deidara and I shared a look before we both stood up, determined to get this over with as soon as possible.

Ibiki wasn't in the yard. He stood in front of the fence, even though Shikaku left him doors wide open. As soon as we stepped out on the street he crossed his hands.

"You two are prisoners, why are you wandering around the village? You should have stayed in the hospital on standby."

"I'm not a prisoner." I shot back. "We came to my uncle's place to eat, and Shikamaru's been with us for the whole time to monitor us." He didn't like that I argued, but seriously I was becoming annoyed.

He turned his attention to Deidara. "We need more info about Zetsu."

"I've already told you everything I know."

"How is he able to produce clones wherever he wants?"

Deidara made a face. "He just grew out of tree trunks or from the ground, un. Not like I know how he does it." Ibiki frowned.

"How does he look?" It was a simple question but it made Deidara put a finger on his chin and mutter under his breath "You won't be able to picture it."

Ibiki reached into inner pockets of his jacket, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. He checked its contents before flipping it over to the blank side and offering it to Deidara. "Can you draw it?"

I thought for sure Deidara would refuse, but he let out a "Goddamit.", turning to me: "You have a book on you, right?"

I furrowed my brows, taking out my book and handing it to him. He must have seen it as I searched my pouches earlier.

Deidara began to sketch, steadying the paper on the cover of my book. I tilted my head, trying to see the drawing, but his hand hid it from my view.

"And you told me you don't do 2D art." My comment prompted him to look at me from the corner of his eye. "I don't like it, but I do know how, un."

"Sure." I kept smiling because I found it so funny that he always said he doesn't do 2D art, only to now do exactly that.

"What?" He turned to me, looking ticked off, and I shrugged, knowing I'm the one teasing now but finding it so fun.

Ibiki cleared his throat, putting a stop to it. Deidara returned him the paper soon after. "Here."

As soon as his eyes laid on the paper he uttered "You can't be serious.", flipping the paper back to us. Deidara's sketch depicted a man's torso, except that he drew Zetsu with something that to me looked like tongs, surrounding his head. He also split him in half with a vertical line, coloring one half with the pen while keeping the other white.

"What's that around him?" I asked. "Looks like a crab's claw, or a pair of tongs."

"Flytrap." Deidara corrected me, though I wasn't convinced. "That's him, un." He confirmed to dumbfounded Ibiki who pocketed the paper without saying anything further.

"Do you know Itachi's whereabouts?" He then asked Deidara the worst question he possibly could.

"No." He let out through his teeth. "What are you, Sasuke?" He grumbled.

"You don't know anyone's whereabouts?"

"Last I heard Itachi and Kisame were in Land of Fire. That's all I know."

"As I said before, do remain on standby in the hospital. You're not really telling us much, however if Hokage decides to send a team after Akatsuki, we'd need your input."

"But he answered all your questions." I spoke, turning his attention to me. "I didn't even question you yet."

"She wasn't a member of the Akatsuki, un." Deidara crossed his hands.

"She agreed to undergo the interrogation. I can think of a few questions I'd like to ask a missing nin." He pointed to the headband tied around my arm. "For example, why did you leave Iwagakure?"

"I chose to be a missing nin three years ago because I had to search for the Akatsuki and I can't exactly do that while staying in Iwa." I answered calmly, even though this impromptu interrogation in front of Shikaku's house was the most unnerving thing and I wanted to get it over with.

"How did you search for the Akatsuki?"

"I talked to people-"

"You're lying." He cut me off and I bit my lip. "I _listened_ to people talking about the Akatsuki." I changed my answer.

"Just that?"

"No." I said, trying not to say anything compromising, or worse, a lie. 'No' wasn't an ideal answer, because it hinted at something, but it was the vaguest answer possible while also being truthful.

"We'll continue this tomorrow." He turned around, leaving Deidara and me motionless in front of the house, looking at him slowly walking away down the street.

That's when Deidara's voice came from behind me, right before Ibiki left our line of view: "Say."

"Hmm?"

"I think it's time we go, un." I stirred my head towards him, the look in his eyes telling me it's pointless to ask about the state of his leg. I thought about it for a moment before making my decision.

"Sunset then. We leave Konoha at sunset."

* * *

 _Yakitori - Japanese type of skewered chicken._

 _Okonomiyaki - Japanese savory pancake consisting of a variety of ingredients._

 _Donburi - rice bowl dish consisting of fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice._

 _Shimogakure -_ actual _name for the hidden village in the Land of Frost, don't know why I couldn't find it before._

* * *

 **Deidara:** I don't do 2D art.  
 **Sayomi:** i DoN't Do 2d ArT. **(I pissed myself laughing at this, if you get it you're awesome.)**

 **As I set out to write this chapter I knew for a fact that this will be a sort of a filler chapter because I wanted Shikamaru, Sayomi and Deidara to interact and talk about random things. I'd be pretty bummed if I hadn't included it and left it to exist only in my brain.**

 **But man, even though I knew what to write about, I struggled with this chapter for over a fricking month. For some reason this has been a reoccurring theme for me this whole summer and I seriously don't like it.  
**

 **That's why I want to thank you so much for reading this and for leaving such lovely reviews, you guys are awesome and I'm so honored.**

 **Next chapter comes in two weeks, maybe even three, because I'm finally going on a trip after working this whole summer and I'm too afraid to take my laptop with me so I'm not going to be able to update. As soon as uni starts we're back on track and hopefully (hopefully) I'll come back to a chapter per week. Can't promise it yet.**

 **P.S. to** _Tinysaurus_ **and** _caamy_ \- **both of you wish for more romance (or maybe just for both of them to stop being so vague/ignorant) but sadly I cannot promise you that just yet. What I can promise you, however, is that you'll hate me for doing what I plan to do (even more teasing I'm sorry not sorry).**


	36. Part 2, Chapter 16

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Regardless of Deidara and me agreeing to leave Konoha at sunset, I thought telling it to everyone at lunch would only prompt them to ask how and why we all of a sudden made that decision. By the time we'd finish explaining ourselves lunch would be ruined. So I didn't say anything once we returned back inside, and Deidara wasn't the type to announce it either.

I couldn't avoid that forever though. After taking Deidara back to hospital, I returned to the house. I guess it was a rather uneventful day in Konoha because I found Shikaku and Shikamaru lazily playing shogi on the veranda. I sat next to them, looking at them moving their pieces at steady tempo, which is something I never experienced when I watched Rin-sensei play. She could spend up to ten minutes pondering about her next move.

Those clicking noises of moving pieces were the only sound on that veranda. That, and the faint echo of a bell coming from the other part of the house, being moved by the wind.

"Once I beat Shikamaru I'll check whether you've gotten any better at shogi." Shikaku said and I smiled at his absolute confidence he'll win over Shikamaru.

"We're leaving today." I said and though both of them looked at me, they didn't stop with their game.

"Ibiki must have caught him lying." Shikamaru muttered.

"He caught me lying." They didn't expect that and I sighed. "Stupid mistake. I wasn't precise when answering him, but either way, it's time we leave. His leg has gotten better and Hokage said herself we should leave as soon as he heals. She doesn't want Akatsuki in or anywhere near Konoha."

"Is Hokage planning to go after Akatsuki?" Shikamaru aimed his question at Shikaku who shook his head. "We don't know their whereabouts nor abilities of all their members. Hokage is more worried about the fact that Akatsuki needs to catch just Hachibi and Kyuubi to complete their collection. They extracted seven bijuu and have it contained, and seven out of nine is still substantial power. No one can tell what that accumulation of energy is capable of doing."

"On the other hand…" He continued. "Jiraiya thinks he found their leader and has left to check that info. Lady Tsunade sent him a messenger bird to stay in Land of Fire until Deidara's questioned, just in case-"

"He doesn't know anything about their Leader. Only that he calls himself Pein, but nothing about his abilities or looks." I cut him off.

"Then Jiraiya bided his time for nothing."

"Jiraiya should've been the one to talk to him. He'd have more concrete questions." I shrugged.

"Seven out of nine you say. That means Akatsuki is closing in on Naruto." Shikaku sighed at Shikamaru's words. "They've always been close."

"At least you care about him. Onoki didn't retaliate once when Akatsuki took Iwa's two jinchuuriki."

"That definitely worked in Akatsuki's favour." Shikamaru's look was a clear disapproval of Iwa's actions, but when it came to understanding Onoki's decision, I was none the wiser. "I don't know what's going on back there, but it's…confusing to say the least." Compared to Konoha, Iwa was heartless.

"We won't let Naruto be taken." Shikaku firmly said, and I could tell whole village shared his sentiment.

"He won't let himself get taken, that dumbass." Shikamaru added, his lips curling up in a smile.

"So, when shall we expect your next visit?" Shikaku surprised me with his question.

"She hasn't even left yet." Shikamaru rolled his eyes and I chuckled. "I'll come. Huge distances are not a problem for me."

"Make sure to announce it though. Mom would freak out if you come when she's unprepared." I sighed, knowing the worst is yet to come. I have to explain to Yoshino I'm leaving tonight.

"I have to agree, please announce it a week upfront for the sake of our sanity." There was no use in postponing it any longer, I had to talk to Yoshino.

She didn't approve of me leaving so suddenly, scolding me for keeping it a secret until now. She also kept repeating "It's not finished yet." over and over but refused to elaborate on it. Then she tried to keep me in Konoha for a couple more days but when I didn't budge she lowered it to tomorrow morning. I couldn't promise her even that, since there was an important reason why I chose sunset. Switching that with next morning wouldn't do us any good.

In the end, least I could promise her was to take bento boxes with us, and with that she marched into the kitchen. Knowing I still had a few hours to kill, I decided to request Shikaku one last thing.

"Can you please show me my mother's grave?" Shikamaru stayed behind, saying he'll pass this time, so Shikaku lead me to the cemetery. He told me he doesn't go there often, because not only does he not see any use in visiting the gravestones, but that the dead aren't any good at shogi to justify him going to the whole other part of the village.

Neither of us brought any flowers, so we just stood there, looking at the gravestone, even though there wasn't anything particular to look at; it was a simple white rock bearing my mother's name and Konoha's leaf symbol.

I tried to remember her more clearly, but I only kept seeing random stills in my head from back when I was a small kid. Iwagakure's rock buildings everywhere, someone holding my hand high up in air while walking, grandma's heartbroken sighs because my parents never came back.

None of those memories were particularly happy, just random bits I was lucky enough to remember. Every other important thing, like how my parents looked or how their voices sounded, I couldn't recall.

"You asked me why your mother did all that." Shikaku finally spoke. "Abandon her village and go with the enemy, as you've put it."

"I still don't get it, but I think I know her a bit better after coming here."

"I think you understand her very well." He turned to leave. "You're probably the only one who can as a matter of fact."

I furrowed my brows, catching up to him. "I know your first priority is to safely reach Iwa and then successfully deal with Onoki, but Akatsuki won't cease to exist even if you're hiding up in the mountains of Iwa. Hokage could propose to Onoki the formation of a unified team to take care of Akatsuki. We'd need Deidara for it."

"Onoki cooperating with other villages…" My sarcastic remark made him glance at me. "That's where you come in. You've proved you can skillfully talk Hokage into agreeing with your demands, and no less is needed when talking to Onoki. If we really wish for peace, we need to be willing to cooperate with our enemies, and open to turn enemies into our friends."

"All this sounds like you want me to be a mediator between Iwa and Konoha." I stopped walking and he turned to me. "I don't know anything about politics, I just have parents from two different villages." I thought that was dumb. Why should I be put in some kind of a role because of a circumstance I was born into?

"I want you to think of your village as your family. Any village you choose, or even both. I know Shiori wouldn't want you to think relations between Konoha and Iwa are your responsibility, but I learned the hard way that you shouldn't leave things to fate. If there is something you consider wrong, you have to act on it. I was aware of your mother not being a fighter, yet I've let her be deployed to the front lines. I could have done more." He looked so serious telling me all this. "If you don't want to deal with politics and village relations, that's your choice. However, if you do wish to change rules you disagree with, I think you are capable of changing even Onoki's mind." He spoke like a true advisor, and for a moment I was frozen in place, thinking about his words.

He began to walk again so I followed.

"There comes a point in every shinobi's life, especially if he or she are jonin and gravitate towards higher positions, when you have to be clear with yourself about certain things. What's your outlook on life, what do you want to change about yourself or something else, what do you want to achieve in life. Just like Shikamaru, some of those things you already thought about, and some are susceptible to change. It's impossible you have come this far in life without having your own way of thinking about matters around you, from which you draw your own beliefs and convictions. The difference between you and Shikamaru, however, is that he's conscious, he knows what caused them and he knows how he has to act to follow whatever it is that he believes in."

"And I'm not?" I furrowed my brows.

"You're not asking enough questions, Sayomi. You are capable of connecting the dots, but you can't connect them if you don't see them – that's when you need to question other people and yourself."

"I missed something, right? That's why you're telling me this." I tilted my head forward, trying to catch his eyes. "What's the question I didn't ask?"

"Earlier today, Ibiki came to ask me about your whereabouts, but about something else too. He wanted to know if there's any need for him to worry about something Deidara said during interrogation. He seemed to be really vocal about his wish to fight Naruto, or Kyuubi as he kept saying."

"Yeah and I did ask him about it. He likes to fight, always did, and to him Naruto was just another powerful opponent he wanted to test himself against."

"You've told me that you don't know how your parents died, yet you've mentioned a possibility that they might've been killed by Kyuubi when he attacked Konoha sixteen years ago." My eyes widened at his words.

"Have you told him that?"

"But that-that was just an assumption, a wild guess, I've only said it because they were near Konoha around the same time. I don't have proof-no, anything, to support that claim. There's no way that's the reason Deidara-"

"Have you told Deidara that you think Kyuubi might be responsible for the death of your parents?" He repeated the question.

"He has no reason to do something like that." I balled my fists. "No reason to go after Kyuubi for me, it's absurd." He sighed.

"Then ask him." I still thought it's not believable, and for a few minutes we walked in silence.

"I told Ibiki there's nothing to worry about, in case you were wondering." I inhaled, deciding to postpone thinking about everything Shikaku dumped on me. I didn't know what to say to all that, and I didn't have time to calmly think it all through.

"Do I have to notify Hokage we're leaving?"

"Inform the guards at the hospital. They'll report it to her immediately."

"I'll come to say goodbye before we leave." He nodded and I made the seal, teleporting to the hospital.

Everything Shikaku said held a lot of weight, I could feel it while listening. As if he was the advisor and I was the Hokage. A lot dumber than any Hokage though. He wanted me to take something from his words because he definitely didn't say it for naught, but my mind decided to focus only on that part where he implied Deidara's wish to fight Kyuubi had something to do with me. I didn't think it was plausible, because not only is Kyuubi being responsible for my parents' death a major speculation, but Deidara himself said that none of it mattered since they were dead for years. He kept drilling it into my head that it's pointless to think about them.

Shikaku misunderstood it. Deidara didn't have any grand reason to go after Kyuubi, especially not something like avenging my parents.

I reached Deidara's room, approaching the guards. "We're leaving in an hour, so there's no need for you to be here anymore." They shared a look but didn't move from their positions.

I rolled my eyes, going in. Turns out I was just in time to catch the nurse freaking out because of us leaving earlier than planned. She blabbed on and on, explaining to us how she doesn't think Deidara's sufficiently healed. He can walk, yes, but any sort of strain he can get from running or godforbid jumping, could make things worse all over again. Since we didn't give an impression we'll listen to her and stay for a couple of more days, she advised us to at least have a five minute rest every kilometer or so. I really had to concentrate on listening her because Deidara kept giving me a look that said we wouldn't have to walk at all if I could get him some clay. I still thought that wasn't a smart idea so I ignored him on purpose.

The moment she closed the doors Deidara took his shirt off, unwrapping bandages from his arms. I was about to turn to the window until he's done but as he pulled off that patch from his ribs, my eyes zoomed in on the seal on his chest. The night when he cast the kinjutsu on himself was fresh in my memory, mostly because I was never as afraid as that night. I didn't know what was going on and I didn't know how to react, what to do, and worst of all, Deidara was in pain like I've never seen him in before – and that by itself was terrifying since he was the toughest person I knew.

"Say." He snapped his fingers, making me glance at him. Regardless of kinjutsu changing his body and causing him pain, he was the one who pulled me back to earth that night. With that nickname he came up with all of a sudden

"You're staring." I quickly shifted my eyes to the wall on the other end of the room, hoping I didn't blush from his words.

"You didn't touch the stitches." I motioned to the seal to sort of explain why I was staring. "Why didn't you ask medic nin to seal it? You said you don't need the one on your chest."

"It's fine like this, un."

"The stitches look really good if you take into account I didn't know what I was doing." I continued. "I was really freaked out. You could've at least told me what you plan to do."

"You would've tried to stop me." He put his shirt back on.

"I think I'd only ask you how can you know it'll work."

"The scroll said the material needs to be solid, and I had that covered. The one thing I didn't know was that it would make my sculptures alive."

"You didn't consider that outcome?" He shook his head. "It should have helped me dose chakra, that's all I needed it for, un. Once that bat flew out of my hand, powered by my chakra, everything changed. It expanded way above all the limits I've set for my art."

"Because you finally brought your sculptures to life." He always talked about bringing his sculptures closer to truly being alive, until finally succeeding in that.

"I simultaneously discovered and created something new. Something never seen before, with me being the only one capable of doing it." Corner of his lips curled up in a smile. "All the pieces I mold become alive for a brief period of time and then I erase their existence in a flash, un." He raised his hands, turning his palms towards me. "This made me achieve heights I didn't know existed and there's still a lot more I need to see."

I smiled, recalling how I spied on him making sculptures on his balcony more than ten years ago. The difference in his art then and now was huge, but that proud grin he always had plastered on his face when admiring his newest creation remained unchanged. His art was the thing that mattered to him the most, it made him happy, powerful; that was who he was. That was the first thing I'd imagine whenever I thought about Deidara, though I never saw the finished product. No, when I'd think about Deidara and his art, it'd always be him in the middle of his creative process; thinking something has to be better, saying he has to find a way to make it better, brewing, experimenting, and then coming up with a solution so insane it would blow me away. I was the only one that witnessed his efforts up close and personal, and that's why I thought he was better than everyone else. He continued to work on his art regardless of what anyone said.

"Art is an explosion, so for me to make it greater I need grander explosions. And I can't do that if you don't get me any clay-" I put my forearm over my eyes, my smile growing into a grin. Goddamit I've missed him.

I turned to the window, trying to calm down. "You'd just blow Konoha up, I don't want to be responsible for that."

"Really don't remember you being this boring, un." I rolled my eyes, looking at the fading blue sky above the village. I've been in Konoha for some time now, but things escalated once I've found the courage to knock on Shikaku's door. Not even a week has passed since then and I've accomplished the thing I set out to do three years ago, while reconnecting to my mother and the rest of my family. A lot of things happened in short amount of time, but I had a feeling Konoha was like that. Its peaceful vibe was just a façade.

"Ready?" I clapped my hands and he nodded. I teleported to the house, leaving Deidara at the entrance of the yard while I went to say goodbye.

Yoshino tried once again to keep me in the village as I packed the bento boxes she prepared, only to all of a sudden flip the script and start talking about Konoha and Shikamaru and the family. I didn't know how to cut her off, so I put my hand on her shoulders, which miraculously did the trick.

"I'll come visit you, okay? I'm not here to say goodbye forever to my aunt." Her eyes gleamed as she put her hand on her chest. "That's right, you have to visit your aunt." I gave her one last smile as I left the kitchen while I still had the chance.

I had a feeling Shikaku and Shikamaru didn't move far from the garden but as I took a turn behind the house I met only with Shikamaru lying on the veranda, hands underneath his head.

"I think I owe you a favor." I said, making him open one of his eyes.

"Didn't think of one yet."

"In all seriousness now Shikamaru, thank you. I know Akatsuki caused you a lot of pain."

"He is not an Akatsuki anymore." He waved his hand. "Both of you are really bizarre though. Must be an Iwa thing."

I smiled. "Take care." He went back to dozing off as I circled the house, finding Shikaku at the front doors, taking off his shoes.

I wanted to find the right words to thank him for everything he has done for me. He accepted me as his niece the moment I stepped in, disregarding the nineteen years he spent unaware of my existence. It didn't matter to him his sister betrayed Konoha, being lovestruck to the point of marrying into an enemy village and keeping it all a secret. I came asking for help and he did all he could. I'll forever remain a fool in my own head because I put off visiting him for three years, but I couldn't have known how Nara family's like. I thought of them as my mother's family, not as my own. Now they were mine.

I bowed my head, and as I looked back up he closed his eyes, his lips turning into a smile. "Then I'll check your shogi playing next time."

"Next time definitely." I confirmed and he disappeared inside the house. I exited the yard, closing the doors behind me. For a split second I thought I was still hesitating about ringing their doorbell, stuck in a moment from a couple of days ago.

"I need to come back here to blow the place up, un." I grinned, turning to the left and seeing Deidara leaning on the fence, hands crossed. "It's hideous."

"What exactly?" I asked, following his stare to the cliffs and to five kage faces chiseled in rock.

I burst out laughing. "I wouldn't call them hideous, just freaky. Staring at you day by day-"

"That's why it's hideous. They want to have a reminder about their kage forever. Master Sasori would commend their effort, un."

"Just imagine Mu-sama and Onoki chiseled on the front part of Iwa's cliffs."

"Why at the front?"

"So they can scare people away." I couldn't stifle my laughter anymore. He made a face. "I'd rather blow up the cliffs than let it happen."

I took a deep breath, trying to stop my laughing fit, motioning him to follow me. It looked like we were taking a casual stroll down the village because of Deidara's slow walk, but I did notice he kept a steady tempo, and his knee didn't give in at all. He didn't walk like a shinobi, but as a normal person walking he could definitely pass.

We walked through the giant doors, serving as an entrance and exit to Konoha, without anyone stopping us. Both of us were aware of a couple of shinobi stationed on various roofs as we made our way to the exit, but there was no trace of them, or anyone, following us out of Konoha. I kept turning every so often until Konoha completely left my line of view. Then I let out an exhale from the depth of my stomach, telling myself we did it. We survived Konoha, negotiations with the Hokage, and that pesky interrogation. We were officially done.

Done with this part of the plan, but for the time being I was happy we accomplished this much.

"So what's the deal with the sunset, un?" Deidara finally broke his silence. "That space-time ninjutsu of yours has something to do with your Yin chakra, right?"

"Yeah, with my Yin chakra that's tied to my Shadow jutsu. When I teleported you, you probably noticed the darkness around you and the cold, but other than that it's impossible for you to see my shadow moving around us. When I do it, you see me disappearing, not me actually entering inside my shadow. The only way for you to figure out it relies on shadows is if there's direct sunlight, which affects me by making my shadows slower, or if you pay close attention to the location of my exits. I'll always come out of a shadow."

"Still having problems with sun, huh?" I shrugged. "I've gotten used to it over the years. Sun and terrain are crucial factors when using Shadow jutsu, though that's not the only thing I have to keep in mind when I use my Shadow Teleportation." He raised his eyebrow. "Is it the distance?" I shook my head, pointing at the rows of trees on my right.

"Let's say you want me to teleport you a kilometer in that direction." He observed the forest for a moment, shifting his eyes back on me. "I know you can do more than a kilometer, un."

"I can. But I can't teleport you a kilometer that way." He narrowed his eyes and I cracked a smile. "I can't visualize it. If I can't visualize it, either by seeing it directly or by imagining it to the tiniest detail, I can't make the trip. That's the secret of this jutsu."

"So the only way for you to reach a kilometer that way-"

"Is to teleport the farthest I can see from here, and then repeat the process."

"Then your long distance travel is possible only because you can correctly imagine the place you want to teleport to, un." He got it.

"Yeah. I remembered the woods in which you and Sasuke battled, and only because of that did I manage to take Konoha shinobi there. I couldn't teleport you to hospital right away because I've never been there and couldn't visualize it, and so on and so forth."

"That's a lot of memorizing to be done."

"It's easier when the place is memorable, or when I've seen it quite a few times. I gave up on trying to remember parts of forest, or the desert, since it's generic and you can never be sure you recalled it correctly."

"Iwa is too far for you to make it and you don't remember the path to it…" He muttered and I pursed my lips, giving him a glare. "We should just fly to it, un."

"I can't take us to Iwa that easily, but I can speed up our journey tremendously. I told you I spent three years looking for the Akatsuki, though at lunch I only counted two years of travel." I raised my fingers in the air as he furrowed his brows. "That's because I spent almost the entirety of that first year training with my jutsu, and to be able to train every day I had to have perfect conditions. So I switched day and night."

"And what did you discover?"

"It didn't take me long to understand how the jutsu works, but I wanted to test its limits. That's why I did the switch. I'd wake up at six in the evening, go eat, then train until morning. I experimented with speed, with the amount of shadows, with visualizing; yet all that time was unrivaled by the amount of time I spent on studying the distance I can cross."

"So what's the maximum distance you can do?" I put my palm up, asking him to be patient.

"My daylight teleportation has short and long distance. Short distance is to an area I can see from my starting position. Long distance isn't. If you're asking me about maximum distance I can teleport to during the day, I'd have to be able to visualize the place that's really far and then have enough chakra to execute it. Testing that out was troublesome." I frowned. "I had to measure the distance I want to travel, then remember the place, then teleport, then go back, measure the whole thing-"

"Yeah yeah, so how far away can you teleport?"

"I don't know! You think I can do so many measurements inside a freaking forest?"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me, un." He let out an annoyed exhale.

"It's tiresome, okay? Walking back and forth and counting my steps to know when I've reached a kilometer – I went nuts by the time I reached five kilometers and then I couldn't remember my starting position because the forest looked identical to where I started."

"Like you couldn't exit the forest and go experiment with that somewhere else."

"That first year I didn't step foot out of Land of Fire. Later I really didn't want to waste my time doing that again. I just teleported and later checked the map to see how far away I've managed to go." He glanced at me. "Teleporting you from that battlefield to Nara clan's forest is the farthest I did, by my own calculations. It definitely exceeded ten kilometers, but I don't know for how much."

"You can do ten kilometers then?"

"Turns out I can, but only if I can visualize a place that's ten kilometers away." I sighed. "Nighttime is different though. Long distance functions the same but short distance is somewhat easier to execute. Shadows are everywhere so it's almost effortless, and unless there is an overcast I have no problem doing short distance."

"Overcast is a problem because what, you can't see?"

"Yeah. When it's not an overcast it's easy as hell, look-" I put my hand on his arm, looking at the road ahead, my eyes settling on the farthest point I could see. I made my seal and since it was around sunset, we transitioned instantly, right to that part of the road I've set my eyes upon.

He looked behind as I let go of his arm. "I call it Shadow Leaping, usually just Leaping. I stand still and teleport to the farthest place I can see, and the moment I exit I can already see the next place I'll move to. I'd use up whole nights traveling like this, only to discover in the morning I'm in a whole other part of Land of Fire."

"Does moon have any effect on you, un?"

"No, at night the only problem I can encounter is overcast. If I can't visualize a place to teleport to and it's an overcast, my jutsu is rendered useless. Same thing happens when it's noon, or if I'm in a terrain without shadows, like a desert."

He didn't say anything and for a while we walked without talking, until I heard him chuckling silently.

"If you think about it, you actually developed a jutsu that helps you evade almost any attack. You can just teleport away from any harm, un."

"I don't really run away from fights." Except that time when I encountered Hidan.

"I said harm. You still don't want to get hurt in the slightest." I had to smile. "That's how I discovered it in the first place."

The sky turned to an orange shade, and from that to a light pink. The light continued to fade as we walked.

"So what if tonight's an overcast?" Deidara asked, taking a look at the sky.

"We'll have to walk, obviously."

"Great, un. Not much of a plan then." I rolled my eyes. "Your leg isn't in a state to walk the whole night and with my Leaping you only have to stand still and let me do all the work."

"For the whole night?" It didn't look like he believed me.

"Yeah, Leaping is only done at night because the more shadows there are, the less chakra I need to use. I told you I trained with it, I can keep it going until morning."

"I guess I have no choice, un." He muttered.

"Though I've never done it in pair." He gave me a look and I bit my lip trembling with laughter.

"Seriously?"

"I'm just kidding, it'll be fine." The light finally disappeared altogether and I stopped him with my hand on his shoulder, making a seal with my other hand.

"Time for me to show you what I can do."

* * *

 **I'm never taking a break this long again, I promise.**

 **I realized Sayomi didn't laugh at all during her travels (except that time when she got drunk with Jiraiya) not even when she met her family, and then as soon as she found Deidara she's laughing and having fun - yeah I'll see myself out.**

 **When I first thought of pt2 of this story I instantly knew which chapters will be hard to write, just because I want them to be absolutely perfect. Chapter 31 where Sayomi meets Deidara after three years is a good example of that: a lot of things happening at the same time, a lot of emotions, and if it isn't done right the vibe of the whole story shifts (that's just my opinion/experience). Next two or three chapters will be as important as ch31. I'm still in the process of writing them and _a lot_ is happening already, so I may break the initial two chapters into three. **

**So yeah, really eventful chapters coming soon, but I want them to be perfect so I'll see you guys in two weeks. I think you'll like the next one. No, actually, I think most of you will hate me after it. xD**

 **My sincerest thanks to everyone reading this story, and keeping up with my AN rambles. And to those of you who reviewed, thank you so much for your kind words, it makes me so happy to hear you like this story. :)**


	37. Part 2, Chapter 17

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Sayomi's POV**

My eyesight was the first thing that was affected by my Leaping. Every shinobi, especially Anbu members, was trained in utilizing even the tiniest source of light to be able to move about in the dark, even in a pitch-black night. I was able to see the path in front of me because of stars above, my only source of light, but by sunrise my eyes were seriously strained.

Another thing that didn't help my eyes was that I had cut the amount of times I'd blink and by moving so fast they got all dry. In order to keep a steady tempo of my leaps I didn't lower my seal at all and didn't ask for a pause. I did glance at Deidara here and there, only to see he encountered the same problem with the blinking and solved it by keeping his eyes closed. I didn't have that luxury.

Slowly but steady the darkness retreated, me noticing it by having a better visual of my surroundings. I could see further ahead which increased the distance I could travel, so the last hour or so I really overdid myself. I felt tired, my chakra supply was low, and all I wanted was to close my eyes and give them a little rest.

I stopped once the sun peeked from the horizon, illuminating the forest floor. I lowered both of my hands, leaning on the tree closest to me and letting out an exhale.

Deidara opened his eyes, stretching his leg and arms as I sat down on the dewy moss, my back pressed to the tree.

"You forgot to mention the downside of this is you being completely exhausted, un." He spoke, cracking his neck. I was all stiff myself, just not in the mood to take care of that right now.

"I usually do a short pause now and then. This is the first time I did it in one go." I finally closed my eyes.

"I dozed off at one point." He said and I chuckled. "While standing?"

"I thought I'd feel those leaps a bit more but you only notice it if you keep your eyes open. Other than that it's as if you're standing still, un." I smirked. Seems I proved myself.

"I still think flying is better." He had to add, making me sigh. "You used up all your chakra with this, and that leaves you at a disadvantage in case we get attacked."

"I know." I couldn't argue with that logic. "I'd normally crash in an inn after this and get some rest."

"Not in this part of the woods, un."

"Can you see what's ahead?" Based on my calculations, it should take us three to four days to reach Iwagakure, granted I use my Leaping each night.

"I could if I had my eye-piece." I took it out of my pouch, pressing it into his open palm.

He kept quiet for a suspicious amount of time after that, making me open my eye slightly to check what's going on. Deidara stood on the road in front of me, fiddling with something on the eye-piece before moving his bangs away and placing it over his eye. He kept the hair away with his hand as he stared down the road, his other eye closed shut.

"By the looks of it, a slope and then a bamboo forest in the distance." I grinned, knowing exactly which country begins with a huge field of bamboo.

"I wonder what that means." I faked, bursting out laughing as soon as he showed me his annoyed face.

"Fine, your jutsu is fast I'll give you that."

"Just fast? Aren't we on a border of Land of Fire and Kusagakure, hmm?" I continued to laugh, using this opportunity to gloat to the fullest. "We were still in Konoha not even twelve hours earlier."

"Good thing you didn't get me any clay, I'd blow you up with it, un." That didn't help calm down my laughter.

"I have an idea. Since you insist I fight you, I want you to have a race with me." I said through my laughter, making him raise his brow. "I'll use my Leaping and you use your birds. Let's check who's really the fastest." My grin came out while I was saying these words, finding myself relaxed enough to give him a challenge of my own. I trusted in the speed of my jutsu and all the training I had done, so I wanted to see if Deidara could pull a trick out of his sleeve and win over me.

I could already tell it'll be a lot of fun to train with him again.

"Oh you're on." He immediately agreed. The sun rays coming from behind him landed on his hair, giving it a golden hue and I quickly closed my eyes, not wishing to be caught staring again.

"Though I already won." He said as I listened to the sound of his footsteps coming closer.

"Based on what?"

"Flying doesn't tire me nearly as much, un." I felt him sitting next to me.

"That's your only argument." I muttered. "When I first attempted Shadow Leaping I didn't have enough stamina to keep it going for the whole night. I perfected the jutsu since then, though I refuse to do it unless it's necessary."

"Why?"

"I didn't have a reason to travel this fast, nowhere to hurry to really. I also switch day and night when I use it, which doesn't seem like a big problem until I have to reverse it." My eyelids felt heavy. I was ready to give in to my exhaustion.

"I'll just rest for a bit and then we can continue." He let out a "Mhm" under his breath as I reached into my pouch for the scroll I searched for yesterday, handing it to him without opening my eyes. "Take this in case we get attacked."

"What's in it?"

"A weapon. But that's only if we get attacked." He took the scroll as I yawned, pulling my knees close and crossing my hands, the tree behind me suddenly becoming a lot more comfortable than it was.

My idea was to take a quick nap until I fell asleep for real. I woke up after a couple of hours, only because sun managed to bypass all the branches and leaves on trees in front of me and settle directly on my face. The heat became unbearable after a while, effectively waking me up.

I stretched my back, blinking both sleep and the sun from my eyes. I turned to the side, bumping into Deidara's shoulder.

"Sorry." I said through a yawn. "It's so peaceful here, I haven't heard a sound."

"There wasn't any, un." He leaned forward, moving hair from his face.

"You ready to go?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

We continued down the path, soon coming to the slope Deidara mentioned. For a while we descended to a valley completely overgrown with bamboo. The forest was dense so it kept the sun out but the humidity inside it was insufferable. It was just as bad as the first time I had to walk through a bamboo forest, it still took a while to accustom to it.

It was late afternoon when we exited the forest and at around that time we took a pit stop, eating Yoshino's bento boxes. We continued on foot until sunset when I again made good use of the Leaping technique. Thankfully the night sky worked in my favor once more and by morning we had officially entered Land of Earth, both of us catching a few hours of sleep before proceeding.

The path we were on was narrow and faster than the main road, cutting the duration of our travel through Kusagakure in half. There was no danger of me Leaping directly into a tree when on the road, which was one of the main reasons I chose to travel this way. Second reason was the state of Deidara's leg, though so far it didn't pose a problem and he seemed secure in using it. As long as we keep this tempo we'll eventually join the main road and from then on it'll be easy to reach Iwa.

If there's one thing I learned during my years of travel, it was 'stick to the road'. Shinobi didn't use roads to travel, unless a mission specifically required it, which made it safer for us to travel and avoid being noticed by other shinobi.

We were walking in silence for hours now, not that it bothered me, but I came up with a couple of questions I wanted to ask him. That's why I spoke up.

"You mentioned I was a C2 level opponent." I think that's what he said it's called. "I know you can't demonstrate it right now, but I'd love to hear its description."

"It already crossed my mind, un." He glanced at me. "But words don't do it justice, you have to feel my art to truly understand its beauty and power."

"You're really not going to tell me?" I raised my brows as his lips twisted into a smirk. "I didn't say that, un."

"Kinda sounded like it. Come on, blow my mind." Well that was a wrong choice of words.

"That's exactly what I plan to do. Fine, listen up." He cleared his throat, his expression a dead giveaway he was enjoying himself right now. "The hand-mouths chew the clay, charging it with my Bakuton and transforming normal clay into Explosive Clay. My techniques vary depending on how much chakra I inject into that clay, un. The most basic explosives I have, done with my weakest chakra, are the C1 explosives."

"So C1 is the lowest level of your techniques?"

"They are easy to make but very effective, also versatile to the point of me molding whatever I want from it. Birds that can fly to enemies, spiders that crawl on top of you, the options are limitless, un."

"Can you control who's the target? Like if there are two people and you want your birds to attack only one of them." He nodded. "I can. With C1 I can also make clay clones and my birds for flying."

"Clay clones? Do you blow them up too?"

"It's a very effective trap." That means Deidara literally blew himself up.

"Most of the time C1 is enough to finish the job, un. But if the opponent seems worthy, I'll bring out my favorite art piece – the C2 Dragon."

"You've never made a dragon before." I turned to him with a smile. Wait, did he say it's only for the worthy opponents?

"For it to work flawlessly I'd need help from someone who can use Hide Like a Mole technique. Then they can hide the mines underground, turning the terrain into a mine field while I fly above the opponent on my dragon and target them with missiles. It's a combined trap attack from above and below, un." He talked about his jutsu so passionately, with excitement and pride, making me think he was actually waiting all along for me to ask him about it.

"That's actually a good tactic." I should get Deidara to try shogi sometime. "How did you come up with that?"

"I told you I had plenty of time to develop my skills while in the Akatsuki. I set out to find something that can make Sharingan useless and in the meantime I expanded on other ideas I came up with. I wanted to make a dragon, so I did, un."

"Did you make something that beats Sharingan in the end?"

"I thought I did." His eyes narrowed. "C4 was designed to take care of Uchiha, mainly Itachi, but I didn't consider his younger brother having Raiton and using it to diffuse my explosives. Itachi doesn't wield Raiton as far as I know."

"Then it would work on him."

"Maybe, un. Sharingan is a tricky thing, so I made Karura even trickier. And despite that he still managed to get away." Imagine we bumped into Sasuke while passing through Land of Fire. Deidara would've combusted.

"So what exactly is C4?"

"C4 Karura. A bomb that releases a cloud of invisible microscopic explosives. Invisible unless you're an Uchiha apparently, un." He rolled his eyes.

"Invisible microscopic explosives." I repeated. "So you can neither see them nor feel them?"

"Yeah. They enter your system once you inhale them and blow you up from the inside. There's nothing left of you, not even dust." My eyes widened.

"Wait, it's as easy as inhaling them?" He nodded. "Then if you drop that bomb on some village you'd kill off all residents without damaging anything else." Every physical thing would remain intact while the rest would be completely wiped out.

"Depends on how big the village is, this does have a radius of effect, un."

"But it could essentially work like that?"

"Yeah, I could turn it into a ghost village."

"That's…actually terrifying." He glanced at me. "If you can't see it and you have no idea what the jutsu does, your only options are to flee or to wait and see what happens so you can construct a way to fight it. I wouldn't have a chance, I'd inhale it and that'd be it." I snapped my fingers.

"Sasuke's not the only one who's survived it, un. You did too." He added.

"Huh?"

"He was able to see my chakra even in something so small because of his Sharingan. He used that to detect my first C4 and stay out of its radius, un. You managed to do that too somehow."

"How do you know?"

"Because of the time of your arrival. You had to be in my close proximity yet you weren't caught in it."

The deer. My little incident with the deer delayed me.

"Animals can't help but inhale your C4." I observed, testing my theory.

"Collateral, un." He shrugged.

So the deer either sensed it or was warned by other animals. That's why he kept trying to drag me away. Now it made a lot more sense.

Corner of my lips curled up in a smile. I owed that deer more than I thought.

"You didn't know that Sharingan can see your chakra and track your explosives because of it?" He shook his head. "Sasuke told you that?"

"Yeah, that's how he knew where my C2 mines were and how far away he has to go to evade my C4."

"That means he could potentially track me through my shadows." I bit my lip. "I don't like that." All the training I've done with my Shadow Teleportation to increase my speed would mean little if someone could track my enter and exit points.

Deidara snorted. "The Uchiha love to talk about their Sharingan, but just because they were born with it doesn't mean it's their power."

"What do you mean?" I raised my brow and he stopped walking, turning to me.

"You tell me who the real artist is, Say. An Uchiha born with an eye that can put you in genjutsu with just one glance, or someone who had to train their eye to see through that stupid genjutsu, un." He didn't have to move his bangs to let me know he's talking about his left eye hidden by his eye-piece.

I caught his line of thinking. Someone who got their 'art' handed to them can't appreciate it as much as someone who had to work on their art's creation. No wonder Deidara was pissed off at the Uchiha, especially after both of them refused to acknowledge his art.

I stared at him, thinking how he's always been one of the most powerful shinobi I know and I'd think so even without knowing what his jutsu are capable of doing. I decided to tell him that, hoping it would calm him down just a little bit about the whole Uchiha thing. I couldn't listen to him being so pissed off about them anymore.

"You know, that's why I wouldn't have stopped you that night, had I known what that kinjutsu would do to you." His anger diminished slightly, his eyes observing me. He didn't expect me to go in this direction, but this particular thing was on my mind ever since our conversation back in the hospital. "You were working on your art ever since I've met you so I know how much effort you've put into everything. Who am I to stop you from doing that?" I looked away for a brief moment. "So, you know, my answer is obvious, you don't have to ask me." I brought my eyes back to him just because I sensed him still looking at me and I wanted to signal it's time we move on.

He didn't say anything as we started to walk again. I guess my oversharing made it awkward. I was so dumb.

"Not like I could've stopped you anyway." I tried to fix the situation. "I mean, I do trust your judgement. You wouldn't go through with that kinjutsu without having a plan ready." I cleared my throat. "Also, that whole deal with Itachi resulted in you constructing a jutsu as frightening as C4, so why can't Sasuke be the cause of you creating something better than that?"

"I didn't say he wasn't, un. I'll make something that will blow Sharingan to bits."

I cracked a smile. That was the Deidara I knew.

"You told me about C1, C2 and C4. Where's the C3?"

"C3 is my most powerful large-scale bomb. A lot of my chakra goes into making it, which is why I usually prepare it in advance in case of a mission or a fight. That huge amount of chakra turns into magnificent destructive power, one I'm very proud of, un."

"You didn't use C3 on Sasuke?" I asked and he shook his head. "Were you planning to?"

"I didn't have it with me."

"Is that all the jutsu you have then?"

"What exactly are you asking me?" He looked at me from the corner of his eye.

I let out a quiet sigh, trying to word out my question the best I could. "Sasuke managed to nullify your C4 twice, but you kept on insisting you would've killed him had I not come. Which means you have to have something more powerful than C4."

"C0." He said, not breaking his stare from the forest path in front of us.

"Zero? Not five?" I furrowed my brows. "Well, what is it?"

"I feed the clay to the mouth on my chest and turn myself into a bomb. He wouldn't be able to escape the ten kilometer radius of my ultimate art piece, un."

"What?" I stopped dead on my tracks, following him with my widened eyes as he made a couple of more steps. "What do you mean you turn yourself into a bomb? Do you actually blow yourself up?"

He looked over his shoulder, his blank expression conveying me it's futile to doubt his words.

I remembered it being written in the scroll how the mouth on his chest is connected to the heart chakra, but in my mind that mouth became irrelevant the moment he asked me to sew it shut. How or why Deidara developed this technique without even testing it was insane.

The more I thought about C0 the more I seemed to come across various details in my memory that now made a lot more sense. Before I had the chance to single out any particular thought from the rest, everything connected into a picture of me holding Deidara in my Shadow Bind as Sasuke sat nearby. Now when I knew the context, that scene in the forest turned a lot more nerve-wracking.

If I'd been a second late…

He'd turn himself into a bomb, detonate, and perish. In a flash, in an instant, in a ten kilometer radius explosion. He'd be gone just like that.

What would I do then?

"That was your plan to defeat Sasuke? If you have to kill yourself just to win over someone…how's that a win?"

"It's better than a defeat."

"What?! You weren't defeated! You weren't half-dead or dying so why would you even consider doing that?" I could understand having a technique like that for when fighting multiple opponents, or when you're on the verge of dying so you might as well take your opponent down with you. Just his broken leg doesn't justify him thinking about it, at least it didn't to me.

"I would die in an explosion so grand it would leave a mark on the earth itself, un. I'd become art!" He finally turned around completely. "I'd rather go out with a bang than leave it at a draw, or worse, give him an opportunity to kill me in some dumb way."

"And because I arrived when I did, you didn't go through with it?"

"That's why I said Sasuke would've been dead had you not come, un."

"But you'd also be dead! Then what would be the point of-of me doing all this?" I threw my hands in the air, freaking out because he was serious about using his C4. It wasn't just a jutsu he prepared for an extreme situation, it was something he was moments away from using.

Maybe he was right when he said Sasuke would've found a way to kill him and Deidara's only chance of out-rivaling him would be to do this. Deidara was a proud shinobi, he held his art in high esteem, so for him to die by becoming one with his art would be the best possible outcome. I knew him well enough to be certain of that.

That was my head talking. My emotions however…they were a mess. I didn't know whether I was angry or sad – maybe I was both? Deidara doesn't have a problem with killing himself in a blink of an eye, but _I_ had a problem with him dying. What would then happen to me?

What if he had actually done it? He said its radius is ten kilometers so I would definitely be killed by it, but suppose he'd done it on some other occasion. I wouldn't have a clue. My whole search would've turned into a ghost-hunt. Sooner or later I would run into one of the Akatsuki and learn the truth, and then what? What the hell would I do then? Return to Iwa without him? Go to Konoha?

That feeling of being lost, of being disconnected, I didn't want to feel it again. I didn't want to even hypothetically think about a world where he disappears within his C0 and leaves me behind.

And so, being afraid of that sort of pain I blurted out what was on my mind the whole time: "I mean did you even think about me?"

He raised his eyebrow. "You're saying all this as if I knew you left the village after me."

"Well what else was I supposed to do? Stay in the village all by myself and follow Onoki's orders as if nothing ever happened? That's insane!"

"And you spending three years looking for the Akatsuki and going all over the continent by yourself is not?" He crossed his hands.

"Me staying in Iwa would mean I accepted Onoki's decision to just kick you out, and that's not something I could live with. Why is my decision to leave any different from yours?" Both of us didn't agree with Onoki, both of us would've been miserable had we remained in the village.

"I still had no way of knowing you actually did that, un. I didn't even know you were in Akamira that day."

"After years of knowing me, you thought I'd just…" If he really believed I was in Iwa all this time, who knows what he actually thought of me. In his mind I was probably nothing more than a spineless fraud of a friend.

"A missing nin is hunted by various shinobi, by other missing nin, by bounty hunters, and even normal people know a crossed-out headband is a bad sign. You don't become a missing nin for some stupid reason-"

"I went looking for you, wow, that's a really stupid reason." I tried not to roll my eyes.

"Yeah, who does that?" He made a step closer to me.

"Well who blows themselves up without even thinking about the other person-"

"I thought I'd never see you again and I had no reason to think otherwise, un." There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, which I immediately recognized. It sounded like he's sick of repeating himself.

I wouldn't have been able to live with myself had I stayed in Iwa. I felt that from the depth of my heart, that's why him thinking I was that heartless to nonchalantly forget about him and his incident with Onoki offended me to no end.

I bit my lip. "Did you hate me then? Is that why you wanted to blow up the village?"

"I didn't think about you. The entirety of Iwa was dead to me, un."

My heart fell from my chest. I was standing on the road, my feet firmly planted, yet I felt as if I jumped from a cliff. I've done that a couple of times when testing my Shadow Teleportation, but this time there was no excitement, no wind in my hair, no focus on safely landing. Just the sensation of my heart falling and my chest being empty.

I didn't expect that to be the answer to the question: 'What if I'm holding on to a friendship that's no longer there?'

Him choosing to stay in Iwa, to give up on his art, would be equal to death, and the same could be said of me. I'd have to follow orders of a man I didn't agree with, day by day, knowing it's pointless to expect that Deidara will someday come back to the village. I'd have nothing to look forward to, and I'd be alone in a village full of people.

My quest was the reason I didn't feel lost and alone. I morphed my reality into this mission to find Deidara and bring him back, thinking everything will be fine once I succeed in that. Truth was different. Truth was; I was a missing nin, searching for a member of the Akatsuki who probably didn't want to come back after being betrayed by his sensei. Deidara was never the one to concern himself with idle things, with anything he thought was pointless. He was realistic, unlike me. I didn't like reality because I was alone in it. So I made myself feel better by ignoring the truth, focusing only on my goal and on the future that seemed warm and hopeful and less alone.

That's why I didn't like to think about that question.

I didn't feel anything malicious in his words, just the truth. He couldn't have known I left Iwa after him so it made sense to write me off from his life. He didn't think about me and that was the reality. I hoped I was still on his mind just like he was on mine, because thinking about it being the other way round hurt too much.

I understood everything, it was logical and it made sense and I was a naïve idiot, but goddamit it still hurt. No amount of rationalizing it made me feel any better. Frankly, I didn't want to think about that right now, not even about C0 which I also began to hate couple of minutes ago. I felt too angry and too sad for that right now.

"Dying just so you can kill Sasuke Uchiha is stupid. I know I've said this a hundred times already but who cares about him?" I made a step forward, trying to forcefully end this conversation since I've already made a fool of myself as it is, but he didn't falter.

"You didn't answer my question." He said and I looked at him with my brows furrowed.

"What question?"

"You keep messing up your words, sometimes saying you went looking for me, sometimes for the Akatsuki-"

"I went looking for you." I crossed my hands.

"You've gone far just to bring me back to the village and prove Old Geezer wrong, un. Who-"

"I told you why-"

"I didn't say why. I asked _who_ does that?" He leaned towards me and I wanted to frown and say 'Obviously I do.' when my reflection in his blue eye stopped me.

"Because I don't think you'd do that for someone else, un." He looked suspicious, expecting, his eyes narrowed as if he wants to catch something, to get to the bottom of it.

Yeah, he was right. I wouldn't do that for anyone else. Who would, except me?

 _Why did she go so far for my father? Was she so smitten by him?_

My heart came back to my chest with the loudest possible beat and all of a sudden I couldn't look him in the eye anymore.

Those questions…no-no, that's not the reason I…

Was it? Was I?

I tightened the grip on my hands crossed over my chest, sidestepping him. As soon as I moved away from him my eyes widened and without a word I began to walk, not checking if he was following me. I marched forward, part of me relieved I didn't have to look at him anymore and part of me knowing he's still behind me and I can't avoid that forever.

What the hell? What the _hell?_

"Oi! My leg's still hurt you know!" He yelled after me.

I didn't slow down. My heart was beating like mad so my speed-walking was effortless, and at moments too slow compared to the energy I felt inside my chest.

I wanted to think in peace ever since my talk with Shikaku, now because of C0 nonsense I really needed it, but after whatever just happened, fucking forget it. I even told myself how I really need to calm down because I was feeling too much at once, and then this happens.

Who does that? That's what he asked me. That's what I asked Shikaku. I knew the answer, I just never applied it to my situation. I never labeled this…whatever it was.

My heartbeat was off the charts, inside my stomach was a whirlwind, my face was flushed, and my mind was stuck in a loop of asking myself questions I initially aimed at my mom.

Why did I go so far for Deidara? Was I so smitten by him?

And to think I almost answered his question out loud.

Obviously I was.

* * *

 **Give them time y'all, they just need to figure themselves out.**

 **Thank you for reading and review pretty please, I really want to know what you guys think of this. :)**

 **Until next time!**


	38. Part 2, Chapter 18

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 18**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Pace of my steps came down eventually and Deidara caught up to me. I had maybe a footstep of advantage yet I felt as if he was leaning over my right shoulder and peering into my eye. One look at him would've told me I'm imagining things, regardless I kept my eyes glued in front of me, not feeling ready to look in his direction just yet.

Anger and embarrassment still lingered inside me, which was precisely the reason why I didn't want to look at him. I was sure he'll know what's on my mind the moment our eyes meet and then I'll end up looking like an idiot. For now I'd rather stay an idiot inside my own head.

Two hours passed since I've decided to end the conversation by abruptly storming off. I waited until I calmed down a bit to think everything through, though I ended up focusing only about that last part of our conversation. I wanted to truly check myself in case I've been too hasty at drawing conclusions, but half-way in asking myself questions I realized there wasn't anything I was unsure of. I knew all the answers, I knew them for a while now, so it was pointless of me to analyze it further.

I left the village because of him, but would I do the same for someone else? No.

Was there anyone I cared for as much as I care about Deidara? No.

That's why I couldn't return to Iwa without him, that's why even my family in Konoha wasn't enough to keep me there, and why I seriously contemplated following him to Akatsuki.

I didn't know what to do with that fact. I didn't feel any different. I cared about him before and I cared about him now, without ever thinking that there's a name for that sort of feeling. I just acted how I felt and that was it. What the hell was I supposed to do with a fact that I 'like' him?

I feared he'll tease me to no end if I admit it. No, he'd shrug it off. Then what would be the point of sharing it?

So after two hours of debating I concluded that the best thing to do would be to act as if nothing's changed, as if I didn't realize anything. If I act the same there should be no problem.

What also interested me was Shikaku saying I'm the only one who can understand my mother. Did he mean that the two of us were practically the same, going above and beyond for a guy we liked? Was I so obvious to everyone but myself?

It was troublesome to think about it. I wanted to think about C0 and him saying he didn't think about me at all - both of these things made me angry and I'd rather be angry right now.

I heard the rain approaching before the sky turned a dark gray colour. A distant hum crept through the forest, through the light tremble of the leaves, announcing the first few drops.

I wouldn't even call that rain, it felt more like a sprinkle from above. I guess that's why neither of us stopped walking. I know I didn't because I was certain this was a passing summer shower and it'll cease as quickly as it began.

It didn't. In fact, the rain got faster.

"Say." He called after we both saw lightning appearing in the distance. He pointed at the forest on his right and I nodded, agreeing with the idea of taking a shelter for a bit.

That's when I saw a shape from the corner of my eye, further down the road in front of us. It was difficult to make it out from the amount of rain, but I wanted to make sure I'm not imagining things. I shielded my eyes with my hand, concentrating on getting a clear picture.

That's when it really started to pour. As goosebumps appeared on my arms and I felt every inch of myself getting wet I seriously wished I still had my cloak with me.

"You just gonna stand there or what, un?" Another lightning flashed above us, confirming my thoughts.

"Wait, I think I see-" but he didn't hear me because of the thunder that followed shortly after, shaking the forest. I was still standing in the middle of the road, getting absolutely drenched, when he grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards the tree closest to us.

I tried to get his attention but he couldn't hear me from the rain and thunder that now became more frequent so I dug my heels into the dirt road, pulling him back.

He turned around with his teeth gritted, looking angry because I decided to act out, which in turn made me angry. I twisted my wrist so I could grab his hand with mine, my other hand quickly making a seal.

Rain may have obscured it because it wasn't in our close proximity, but I was positive that the shape looked like a house. I just needed to make out a few more details to be able to teleport there. Now when we came closer it became clear it was a teahouse and I, relieved, quickly pulled Deidara in with me.

A couple of merchants were playing cards at one table, looking up at us as we walked in and slumped on the first table I've set my eyes upon. They muttered something between themselves, going back to their game once the middle-aged woman approached our table.

"Oh my, I can't remember the last time it rained like this. Tea?" I nodded, glancing at Deidara as he observed the place. Both of us looked as if we took a dip in the hot springs with our clothes on. His ponytail was flat, the rest of his hair glued to him and looking darker than its usual golden color. My own hair was stuck to me and it tickled the back of my neck, but what irritated me more were my glued eyelashes that I saw every time I blinked. I jerked my right hand to rub my eyes and instantly froze.

I was still holding his hand.

Not only that, but I couldn't let it go because of his hand. I slowly released the grip, feeling my hand almost numb from the cold. He opened up his fingers and I slipped my hand out, all the while cursing myself for being an absolute idiot and trying not to catch his eyes.

Thankfully the lady brought us tea soon after so I wrapped my hands around the cup to warm myself up. I really hope I wasn't blushing.

Deidara ignored the steaming cup and gathered his hair, squeezing the water out of it. It dripped down on the floor, the noise making the merchants look at Deidara with disapproval. I let out a silent chuckle that made him raise his eyebrow, a single droplet of water rolling down from his eyebrow to his chin.

I swallowed.

"What?" He asked, taking off his eye piece.

"Nothing." This has to be the stupidest I've ever felt in my entire life.

I rubbed my eyes. Act normal Sayomi, act normal.

I cleared my throat. "If the rain doesn't stop before nightfall we'll be having a problem."

"Worse than the rain, un?" He added sarcastically.

"I won't be able to see from the rain clouds. Overcast, remember?"

"Great."

What was also troubling was the fact that this was just a regular teahouse, not an inn. Staying overnight is out of the question so if the rain doesn't stop before closing time, we're in for a night of walking through the rain.

"I can't even tell if we're close to Iwa or not. We hit the main road an hour ago, and until now we did two nights of travel." I tapped my nails on the cup. "But my initial prediction was four nights of travel so it's unlikely we're that close."

"We can check that once the rain stops." He said, looking through the window. "I think it's slowing down, un."

"I hope you're right." I sipped my tea, finally warming up a little. It was uncomfortable to sit in my wet clothes but I had no other choice. Even if the rain stops soon, sun will set in an hour or two and that's not enough time for me to get completely dry.

Such a drag.

Deidara was right though. In a matter of fifteen minutes the rain stopped and sun peeked from under the clouds. I downed my tea, leaving coins on the table and following him out.

"Maybe the clouds go away before sunset…" I took a deep breath, enjoying in the fresh smell of rain. "What are you doing?" I asked, seeing Deidara going to the side of the road and crouching down.

I came closer as he grabbed a handful of dirt. My lips spread out in a grin once I recognized what he was doing.

"I haven't done this in years." I forgot about all the awkwardness I felt, crouching down next to him. "You sure you remember?" Corner of his lips turned into a smile.

"Yeah of course." I took some wet soil in my hand, kneading it between my palms. Deidara taught me this when we were still kids, back when we weren't in the Academy so we had no right to enter shinobi units and take clay, even though we often sneaked in and got our hands on some anyway. But sometimes we'd go the old-fashioned way and that's when he taught me how to check whether there's any clay in the soil consistency. That was the first thing you'd have to do.

Knead a piece of wet soil, then roll a small ribbon between your forefinger and thumb. If the ribbon is solid and sticks together, it's clay soil. He'd often walk around with dry clay on his fingers, forgetting to wash his hands after the process, and because of it I'd always know what he'd been doing.

I was having fun rolling it around, feeling like a kid again, when he shook his head in disapproval.

"There is clay in it but it's not clean, un." His hand mouth coughed out a putty mass. "This one's just trash. It's too grainy. Ground near Iwa has more clay in its soil." Seems we weren't close after all.

"Then I guess we walk." I muttered, wiping my hands on my pants.

I was preparing myself for a night of walking ever since the sun set and the sky remained littered with clouds, but then moonlight made its way through after a couple of hours, making it so I was able to use my Shadow Leaping again.

And so by late morning we were met with a familiar sight of Iwagakure's front cliffs. It was weird to see them after three years and a wave of excitement washed over me. I left with a sole purpose of getting Deidara back and I've succeeded in that, though I wasn't sure what was waiting for us in there. Deidara expected a fight, while I hoped for a more peaceful outcome.

Cliffs weren't guarded, as usual, so we passed them with ease, entering the forest that lead to the village. Before we stepped out on the stone streets, I pulled out his headband from my pouch, handing it to him.

He glanced at me. "And what if the Old Geezer attacks us?"

"Like you would mind." He tied the headband around his forehead, his smirk telling me I was right.

"Let me talk to him first though."

"Do whatever you want, just don't expect me to say sorry to him, un."

"That was never my plan." And with that we entered the village.

It was a usual day in Iwagakure; shopkeepers cleaning entrances to their shops, smell of food coming from inside of restaurants, housewives doing errands, and kids running down the stone streets, some with and some without headbands. Not far in and a couple of shinobi crossed our path; we didn't pay them any attention as they stopped dead on their tracks, looking absolutely flabbergasted.

It was so nostalgic to walk through those streets. I noticed a couple of new buildings and restaurants that weren't here before, and I kept myself occupied with that in order to ignore red attires that started to appear on roofs above us. It seems the word got around, and shinobi flocked to see what was going on. They didn't make a move however, they didn't even panic. They seemed to be collectively confused, unsure of what to do as they faced a threat of two missing nin casually making their way through the village.

On the stone bridge we passed next to a shinobi I recognized as Tenchi, whose cigarette fell from his mouth once he saw us.

I thought I'd explode from the anxiety by the time we reached Tsuchikage's building. A circle of shinobi were on roofs around the square where the tall building stood, marked by a kanji for earth. We were a spectacle that no one knew how to react to.

Onoki was levitating in front of the window of his office, his hands crossed and his face serious. He looked more or less the same as I remembered him: short, stern, his brows sharp and his mouth a thin line under his big nose.

We stopped in front of him, the entirety of the square silent and expecting.

"You two have some nerve to just walk in the village like that." He said. "You know what we do to missing nin here." He clapped his hands and I felt Deidara tensing, smirk on his lips getting wider. I tensed too, knowing I only have a second to react before Onoki completes his jutsu.

"Jinton-"

"Move it grandpa!" My eyes widened as Kurotsuchi jumped from the roof, pushing Onoki away and making the cube between his palms disappear.

"Neither of you are going anywhere ever again! Yoton: Quicklime!" She spit out her quicklime at the two of us, but I was faster. I grabbed Deidara, making my seal and teleporting away.

"Back here!" I called, making Onoki turn to look through the window and at the two of us now inside his office. I remembered my home better than any other place on Earth, and that included even my sensei's office.

"Oh come on." Deidara didn't look very happy I decided to stop the fight. "I can easily take care of both of them, un!"

"You can do that later." He rolled his eyes and Onoki entered the office after signaling to the rest of the shinobi to clear out the square.

"First we talk Onoki-sensei." I said to him, taking a deep breath, not even sure where to start.

Surprisingly he sat down in his chair, taking a scroll from his desk.

"The Slug Princess informed me of everything." He cleared his throat. "'Sayomi Nara is bringing Iwa's missing nin to Iwagakure, an ex-Akatsuki member that shared Akatsuki's plans with Konoha and therefore earned the right to be extradited.'" He looked at the scroll, not hiding his distaste. "Is she not aware that missing nin are extradited as prisoners, with a team of shinobi that watch your every step? No, instead she gave permission to a _missing nin_ to extradite another missing nin. Nowadays anyone can become a Hokage it seems."

There was something weird in the air. Just a feeling of something being off, but I couldn't discern what exactly. I waved it off for the time being because I finally constructed what I wanted to say when someone kicked open the doors, someone being Kurotsuchi.

She grew a lot, but her black hair was still short and her face still looked determined.

"Stay away from them." Onoki threatened. "That's an order!" She closed the doors, going to the side of the room all the while not taking her eyes off of us.

"Sayomi-nee-"

"Kurotsuchi, not a word." Not like she had a chance. Doors swung open again, revealing confused Kitsuchi. "Old Man, word has it that Deidara and Sayomi are back in the vill…" We turned to look at him, making Kitsuchi trail off.

"I am aware." Onoki didn't look pleased to be interrupted yet again, or maybe it was because this was turning out to be a family meeting. I for one didn't mind.

"Deidara-nii, were you really in the Akatsuki?" Kurotsuchi blurted out and Onoki pointed at her. "What did I say, Kurotsuchi?"

"Ask the Old Geezer, un." Deidara said, ignoring Onoki's outburst. "He was more than happy with our service."

I bit my lip, trying to keep myself from smiling. This will be too easy. Onoki doesn't have a choice but to pardon us.

"What does that mean?" Kitsuchi asked, his eyes narrowing.

"It means that the Third Tsuchikage contracted Akatsuki for missions instead of Iwa shinobi, and the one who completed them was none other than Deidara who he so kindly kicked out of the village." I said, feeling triumphant. He can't get out of this one.

Kitsuchi exhaled. "Now you've done it Old Man. You contracted a criminal organization to do missions on the village's behalf. Have you lost your mind?" Onoki didn't answer.

"How many times?"

"A few." I've finally put my finger on what bothered me. Onoki wasn't enraged. I expected him to be red-faced and seething, but disregarding his attempt at Jinton, he was perfectly calm.

"You knew what kind of rumors were going around so why would you even bring yourself in a position to work with them? This could turn out to be a diplomacy scandal. Other villages can come to suspect us of conspiring with the Akatsuki, and then what? What will you do if they ally against us and decide to attack Iwa-"

"I've been on this position too long to have you chastise me, Kitsuchi. I know what's best for the village." Why wasn't he angry? We just revealed his biggest secret, and he didn't look concerned at all.

"No, you're right, you have been on this position for too long. You've started to make lapses of judgement. You potentially endangered the well-being of the entire village!"

"Konoha doesn't know about you working with the Akatsuki." I spoke. "We didn't tell them that." That should shake him a little bit. There's no way he's expecting that.

"Now how will you explain to everyone that two missing nin made sure not to betray the village?" Kitsuchi exhaled.

"Kitsuchi, don't you have something to do?" He was annoyed, but still calm and collected. I didn't get what was going on.

"I do actually, I'll pay a visit to the village elders. I'm sure they'll be thrilled about this." He slammed the doors after him and I thought how I've never seen Kitsuchi this angry.

"So you were the one who did those missions, Deidara?" Onoki said and Deidara crossed his hands.

"Don't you find that interesting, Onoki-sensei?" I wasn't about to let him casually avoid the hypocrisy of the situation. "You kicked him out for developing a jutsu that you didn't agree with, only to later need his skills."

"Even the Ishiagakure post?" Onoki asked, his eyes still on Deidara. "Tch, yes I took care of your Ishiagakure problem, un. There's no way anyone using Doton could have leveled such huge area." Deidara glanced at me. "Ishiagakure was planning to annex part of Land of Earth's territory by building a settlement over the border. That was the first time I tested my C3, un."

"Great, Deidara prevented an all-out war between Iwa and Ishi." I threw my hands in the air.

"That's precisely why I used Akatsuki for that mission." He sighed. "Sending Iwa shinobi would've resulted in war, like you've said, and I'm too old to be responding to their obvious provocations with lives of my fellow shinobi. I took care of the problem without endangering the village, something Kitsuchi doesn't understand."

"That's not the only time you needed my help though." Deidara muttered.

"Everything I did was for the sake of the village. If you think anyone will retaliate against me because I've sometimes used Akatsuki, you're wrong. The worst that can happen is village elders yelling at me, and believe me I've gotten used to that." I bit my lip. I can't believe it. I thought this will be a full-proof plan to shake up Onoki's reign, but he's confident he'll get away with it. No, he already did.

"And what if other villages won't be as forgiving as Iwa shinobi?" I asked.

"What other villages won't forgive me is having two out of three of my students become a missing nin! Do you know what that says about my teachings?" He pointed at Deidara. "One steals a kinjutsu and defects the village, joins the Akatsuki and wreaks havoc all over the continent, and the other-" He looked at me and I gritted my teeth.

"What? Goes away because she doesn't agree with the Tsuchikage?" I spat out.

"What have you two come here for? I know you're not here to ask for forgiveness, that was never your style."

"What did we do that is so unforgivable?" I felt it. Everything that brewed inside of me was about to come out, and I stood tall and firm, my anger grounding me as words gushed out.

"Ever since the Academy we've been told we have to get stronger. Get stronger for the sake of your comrades and for the sake of the village. Do you have any idea how strong Deidara was just months after you kicked him out? Strong enough to be approached by the Akatsuki, hell, Itachi Uchiha was forced to make a bet with him just so he can make him a part of the organization. That's how much they needed his abilities. You _paid_ for them, and yet you still sit here and talk about the kinjutsu as if it's the worst thing in the world."

"He broke the rule! You don't take a forbidden jutsu-"

"Oi, grandpa, Deidara-nii's not the first one to have that kinjutsu." Kurotsuchi cut him off and he looked at her appalled.

"What are you talking about-"

"You know what I'm talking about, grandpa, you know damn well! Sayomi-nee left that scroll with me because she didn't have time to investigate the rest of the names signed inside, but I had time. This kinjutsu was used in both the First and the Second Ninja War, but it became a kinjutsu because of First Tsuchikage who wanted to restrict its use. Not because he didn't need it, but because he couldn't watch members of his family cast it on themselves and be ostracized because of it."

"Kurotsuchi-" Onoki tried to stop her.

"Kurotsuchi, what are you saying?" I asked, all of us staring at the black-haired girl with balled up fists.

"I'm saying that this kinjutsu was used by people who had Yoton as kekkei genkai. That was the only way they could've used quicklime before my great-grandaunt developed a technique we use nowadays."

I completely forgot about the scroll and the rest of the names. I told Kurotsuchi to hold onto it, but for her to find out this much – Onoki's hatred of that kinjutsu went deeper than I previously thought.

"Would you cast that kinjutsu on yourself, Kurotsuchi?" Onoki asked, seemingly calm. "Even though there are other ways you can use your kekkei genkai." Deidara glared at Onoki. Now he was just provoking.

Kurotsuchi hesitated. "If that would make me a Tsuchikage, I would."

"No you wouldn't. You care too much about the village to throw it all away for one kinjutsu."

"Even if that kinjutsu makes you stronger than everyone else in the village?" I raised my eyebrow. "This is absurd, one person having that kinjutsu doesn't jeopardize your rule, it only adds one more powerful shinobi to the village's ranks. Why are you still stuck on that?" I continued.

"I'll tell you the real reason. Neither of you actually care about the village." Onoki said, the room growing silent.

"That's the problem with you two. I noticed it when you were still genin but I thought I could take care of it once you become chuunin. I'll stir one of you to Anbu and the other to the Explosion Unit and you'll learn to care about the village and its people." He sighed. "Instead, I just got proof I was right all along. Deidara proved he doesn't care about the village when he took that kinjutsu and decided to flee, shouting about his art nonsense. And you proved it when you left after him, because in your mind he was more important than the entire village." He leaned on his chair.

I wanted to say that's not true but he was right on this one. I couldn't make it seem the other way round.

Maybe I was supposed to have a guilty conscience over this...but I didn't.

"That's why the village won't turn on me regardless of me employing Akatsuki. Everyone knows my first and foremost priority is Iwagakure's well-being."

"That's bullshit." His eyes narrowed at me. "Deidara left because you said you'll either kill him or get rid of the kinjutsu." He won't stir this the other way round, I won't let him.

"Kinjutsu was more important to him-"

"His sensei said he'll kill him! That's why we left! He told you he needs that kinjutsu to become stronger and instead of concentrating on that, you concentrated on some stupid rule and all this became 'oh you two don't care about the village'. None of this would have happened had you reacted differently, both of us would've stayed in Iwa." Deidara kept silent this whole time and now Onoki looked at him, as if he wants to hear him confirming this.

"Don't look at me Old Geezer, I have nothing to say to you. I told her you won't listen this time around either, and I'd rather face you on the battlefield anyway, un."

"You can think what you want, Onoki-sensei, but everyone knows we would've stayed in the village had you chosen to pardon Deidara. Kinjutsu didn't trigger any of this, your stubbornness did."

"That doesn't change the fact that neither of you are loyal to the village."

"You know what, no I'm not!" I gritted my teeth. "I won't swear loyalty to a kage who doesn't care about its people, choosing to banish them for insignificant and easily resolvable things. Aren't you supposed to care about everyone, not just about people who blindly follow your orders, without ever questioning them?"

"I know you're not loyal to the village, Sayomi _Nara._ " He spat that out as if it was an insult, and I clenched my jaw.

"I knew I was part Nara before I left the village, that doesn't have anything to do with this." I hissed.

"What does that mean, Sayomi-nee?"

"It means my mother was a Konoha shinobi and a member of the Nara clan."

"What? A Konoha shinobi?"

"Then you know why I kept that a secret from you." Onoki said.

"Because me being an Iwa shinobi wielding Nara clan's jutsu is a giant threat to the entire village. Konoha could have accused you of stealing their clan's abilities." I took a deep breath. "I planned to have you pardon Deidara and in return I'll go back to my clan in Konoha-"

"What, un?!"

"He said he gave one pardon too many." I glanced at Deidara. "So I'll trade my pardon for yours."

Deidara looked as if he's processing what this means and doesn't trust his own reasoning, while Kurotsuchi looked downright confused by the entire issue. Silence was broken by Onoki's tired sigh.

"Now you've done it, Sayomi." He pinched the bridge of his nose while I tried not to smirk. Seems I could still use my mother's name as a bargaining chip.

"I pardoned your mother, not you." My eyes widened and I stirred my head towards him. "What?"

"I didn't tell you about your heritage because I wanted to limit your knowledge about the Nara clan in case you ever come in contact with them. They would recognize their jutsu, and your mother's name, which would put your life in danger. Konoha has always been peculiar but even they wouldn't wage war for one shinobi. They would sooner send an assassin to kill you." He couldn't have meant my mother. That pardon wasn't for her, no way it was.

"They would never trust you completely. In their eyes you could never be loyal to Konoha after being loyal to Iwa your whole life. I'm not worried about that anymore; if you revealed yourself to them during your time in Konoha and you made it out alive, it's nothing to concern about."

I couldn't believe it. My Akatsuki blackmail didn't work, the Nara thing didn't work…how do I get us out of this?

Deidara cracked his knuckles.

"Are we done?" He asked. "Is it finally time for us to fight, Old Geezer?"

"Usually I'd decline, but I'd rather kill you myself, Deidara."

No, this wasn't what I planned. It's not supposed to go like this. We should have Onoki cornered here, instead everything that just happened, everything I've said, left him completely unfazed.

As if I was reliving that day from three years ago. I hated it. I promised myself that I'll make him listen this time around, and I'll do that if it's the last thing I do.

"Oh no, no no no, this won't go as the last time." I was practically shaking from anger. I've never felt this much rage in my entire life. It's time to take drastic measures.

I have had it.

"You didn't even ask me where I was for three years." I said, burning holes in him.

"Weren't you in the Akatsuki as well?" He waved me off, pushing his chair away from the desk. Fight was imminent, but hell, I still had a few things to say.

"I wasn't. I didn't spend three years going all over the continent to be ignored by you." I balled my fist. "I didn't break into every single hidden village to have you act deaf again." He turned to me as if I slapped him.

"What did you say?"

"Oi, Say-" It was a warning, but I ignored it. I couldn't stop now.

"And by breaking in I mean I've been inside their offices, their libraries, their archives. I know everything about other villages, and isn't that what you desperately need, hmm? A way for Iwa to be stronger than other villages?" That was my final plan. I'll attack the thing that hurts Onoki the most: the humiliation of losing the Last Great War.

His pinky jerked ever so slightly and in a fraction of a second I teleported behind his desk. An Anbu member with a drawn kunai was on the spot I've been standing on for this entire conversation, and by the clumsy reaction I'd say he was confused about me managing to outrun him.

I gripped the backrest of Onoki's chair, my eyes narrowed and threatening. "I'm not finished, _Onoki-sensei_." He thought he could use Anbu to attack me, as if I wasn't well-versed in their methods.

"Onoki-dono-" Onoki stopped him with his raised palm. Anbu shinobi then turned to Deidara, who stood with his hands crossed, as if no one in the room posed any threat.

"Is that how you've done it, Sayomi? With that space-time ninjutsu you've acquired?"

"Yes, and I'll tell you what I've learned. You stubbornly follow old-fashioned rules that hurt your own shinobi and village's future more so. And I know that's true not only because of what you did to Deidara, but because of what you didn't do to save Iwa's two jinchuuriki." Deidara gave me a look, alerting me that Onoki's made another signal.

I teleported to Kurotsuchi's side of the room, a new Anbu member taking a stand behind Onoki's desk. The one from before moved closer to Deidara, pointing his kunai directly at his neck.

Still, Deidara didn't even glance in his direction.

It seems I finally struck a nerve if Onoki's calling Anbu to take care of us.

"Iwa won't fulfill its potential if you don't change your views. Konoha will do whatever it takes to protect one of their own, regardless of him being a jinchuuriki. Suna asked Konoha to help save their Kazekage because to them it was more important to get him back than pretend they are stronger by themselves and don't need anyone's help. Iwa is completely heartless under your rule, and I have no intention of following someone like that." In that moment I was completely prepared to get in a fight with Onoki. If he and Deidara fight right now, well, who knows what will happen, though I place my bet on Deidara. Whatever happens, even if we die, at least we die free.

"That's all I had to say, you can fight now, I don't care."

"You sure?" Deidara asked.

"There will be no fight." Onoki said. "A coup d'état is unforgivable. Kurotsuchi!" My eyes widened, knowing Kurotsuchi is right next to me and can easily attack me. I teleported closer to the doors without glancing at her to make sure my guess is right. Once I teleported it was too late. An Anbu member came from behind me, and all I felt was his palm meeting with my back before all air left my lungs.

As if someone kicked me in the stomach and I couldn't draw another breath. I fell on my knees, grabbing at the fabric of my kimono jacket in an attempt to loosen it so I could breathe. From the corner of my eye I saw Kurotsuchi standing perfectly still, her face angry and her eyes darting between the three of us.

Goddamn Onoki tricked me. She never intended to attack me.

Deidara kicked the shinobi that was threatening him, sending him into Onoki's desk. "It seems it's time for me to show you my art as I blow this place up." Deidara glared at Onoki, raising his hands in the air and showing the hand-mouths licking their lips. "It'll be my pleasure, un!"

But two Anbu members placed some kind of seal on Deidara's back and he staggered, his teeth gritted as he swallowed his wince. I managed to see the inscription on the seal, confirming my fears.

Chakra draining seal. That's what was on my back.

As soon as our chakra supply reaches zero we'll hit the point of chakra exhaustion and pass out. But why bring out the seals? Why not just kill us?

"I'm throwing both of you in prison until I decide what to do with you." I heard Onoki's voice as I tried to reach the seal on my back. I fell on the floor soon after Anbu shinobi touched me, and I recognized the jutsu as Paralysis Jutsu. One I never learned.

This is not what I planned. Not what I hoped will happen. I was supposed to resolve everything with Onoki, so why were we now in a bigger mess than when we arrived?

It took two seals to bring Deidara to his knees and I could just helplessly watch him getting cornered by Onoki's Anbu, anticipating the moment the rest of my chakra exits my body.

"You just postponed your loss Old Geezer, my art can easily take care of your Jinton." He glanced at me. "You know…she's a lot tougher than you think, un."

He fell on the floor, struck by Paralysis Jutsu, but it was already over for me. Darkness of my own unconsciousness clouded my vision.

Somehow the one scenario I didn't predict came true.

I had failed.

* * *

 **I'm kinda late with this chapter but holy shit it's the longest chapter thus far. I'm kinda breaking my own rules/records as the story progresses.**

 **Next chapter or the one after it I'll once again reconnect this story to the canon storyline, because lately we've been ignoring the canon.**

 **90 people reading this is insane and I give my thanks to each and every one of you - for waiting and for sticking around. Also, don't forget to review, I really like hearing what you guys think. :)**

 **See ya in two weeks!**


	39. Part 2, Chapter 19

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 19**

 **Weeks later in Iwa**

"It seems they're finally returning." Tenchi commented as Kitsuchi observed the three flying figures steadily approaching the Tsuchikage tower.

"He has to announce the war to rest of the village." Tenchi glanced at the scroll lying on the desk. "We cannot begin with preparations if only the two of us know about it."

"Old Man wanted to personally visit the Daimyo to explain the situation since he's rather tough to deal with. He should address the war situation soon enough."

"I guess it's stupid to hope this is some kind of joke, huh?"

Kitsuchi shook his head as Onoki approached the window, giving a look to Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi behind him. "You two continue with the matter at hand." The two nodded and without a word flew away.

Onoki entered the office, placing his hat on the desk as he sat down in his chair. Kitsuchi and Tenchi took a stand in front of him, expecting his words.

"Five kage formed a Shinobi Alliance as a response to Uchiha Madara's proclamation of Fourth Shinobi War." Onoki calmly said.

"So you've written, but what does that mean?" Tenchi said.

"Exactly that. Uchiha Madara appeared before us at the Summit, after he sent Uchiha Sasuke to attack us, telling us that the whole purpose of Akatsuki was to collect all the bijuu, with which he'll then revive the juubi."

"Juubi?" Tenchi reached for his cigarettes.

"He only needs Hachibi and Kyuubi to proceed with the plan. Once the juubi is revived, he'll project infinite Tsukuyomi on the entire world. We'd all live in continuous genjutsu. Become one, as he's put it."

"So you've allied with the other villages?" Kitsuchi asked, seemingly suspicious of it. Onoki frowned.

"If we don't unite, Madara wins. I have decided that Iwa will join the Allied Shinobi Forces. With that, Iwa is officially at war." The room became silent at Onoki's statement.

"Raikage-dono has been put as the commander but he will need my expertise. We need to start preparing ourselves-"

"Raikage-dono will need someone else's expertise too, and fighting power. What have you decided regarding-" Kitsuchi began.

"I haven't shared that." Onoki said, intertwining his fingers as he leaned forwards on the table.

"You didn't tell them you have an ex-Akatsuki member captive?" Tenchi waved his cigarette around. "What about Hokage-sama-"

"The Slug Princess wasn't at the meeting. Danzo was. And even if he did know about Deidara, he escaped before he could say something."

"If you hide that fact any longer, you'll jeopardize the trust of other kage and the Alliance will suffer." Kitsuchi knew that Onoki could no longer ignore the problem he locked in Iwa's prison cells. What will the stubborn man do?

"We must be careful with this intel. Saying it in front of Madara was out of the question. I cannot guarantee he doesn't know Deidara is alive. Rest of the kage know of me employing Akatsuki, but this they're unaware of."

"But-"

"I take it Daimyo approved of the Alliance then?" Kitsuchi cut Tenchi off.

Onoki nodded. "I'll leave the preparations to you, Kitsuchi. We haven't yet decided when to move out, and I am sure that Raikage and Hokage will first want to put their jinchuuriki at a safe location. Our priority is to not let them fall in Madara's hands."

"Wait a second, wait." Tenchi tried to grab Kitsuchi's attention as the latter turned to leave.

"Later Tenchi, we have work to do." Kitsuchi signaled him to leave the office and as Onoki remained alone, his eyes narrowed.

" _What an useless, old-fashioned way of thinking." Man with red hair and green eyes said, green Kazekage hat in front of him._

Those words…they have to be important if they followed him all the way from Iwa to the Iron Country.

These younger generations harbored a lot of conviction. Maybe it's time to let them speak up.

* * *

 **Sayomi's POV**

I don't know how many days I've spent inside that prison cell. If you could even call this a prison cell, because the rock walls enclosed every inch of the room except for a ten centimeter high and two meters wide gap between the floor and the rock wall in front of me.

When I first came to, waking up after being rendered unconscious in Onoki's office, I found myself in complete darkness. I couldn't see anything at all, so I concentrated on my other senses. My hands were bound in front of me, my wrists connected by a rough rope I couldn't wiggle out of. However, my legs were free, and even though I didn't want to get up from my lying position without knowing where I was first, I used them to investigate.

After carefully moving my legs, I determined I was lying on a bench with a wall on my right. The room smelled of stale earth, which was a scent you could find in shinobi storages in Iwa, or in any place that didn't get enough ventilation.

There were no sounds, but that didn't bother me. No, what bothered me was this pitch black vastness of space, so much that there was no difference between me keeping my eyes open or closed. I hated it solely because I couldn't feel my chakra, and after nineteen years of living with my chakra more or less alive inside of me, the loss of it was a huge shock. I presumed it's been sealed, but without it this darkness began to suffocate me. Using my meditation and my chakra I could've made this darkness familiar, but like this I had no choice but to wait.

I don't know how much I've waited either. At first I calmed myself down by thinking about happier things, about all the sceneries I saw that were a hundred times better than this nothingness around me.

I soon began to ask myself questions. Why wasn't I afraid when I left Iwa? I wasn't as strong as some other shinobi, and all the confidence I had in my abilities was because of my Shadow Teleportation. I could always get away, so that's why I wasn't afraid. But before I discovered my Shadow Teleportation, how wasn't I afraid before? I left Iwa a few months prior to my sixteenth birthday, and I could've been jumped by a gang of delinquents, or worse, rogue shinobi. So…why wasn't I afraid?

I was very much afraid right now, and by each minute I spent stripped of my sight, my fear grew. That's why I combed through my mind, trying to find a solution to the fear I felt, only to end up empty handed.

My fear then turned into outright panic. Darkness was becoming too much for me to handle and I frantically stirred my head, searching for a dash of light. I didn't understand the lack of it. I had no means to leave without my chakra, and they took care of that, so what was the point of this?

Then I reached the point of telling myself I can do it, I can endure this a little longer and then light will surely come, only to switch it the next minute with 'I'll go insane if I spend even a second longer in this hell.'

Thankfully light appeared before I completely lost my mind. It cut through, hurting my eyes, and I was so relieved I thought I'll cry.

As soon as my eyes adjusted and I registered where I was, my brain told me I'm in no position to be happy.

Darkness made it seem as if the space around me was huge, when it really wasn't. I was trapped in this small room, perhaps even underground, and the only thing that stood out was this gap in the floor that now gave me light.

I crouched next to the gap, knowing it's impossible I crawl through and that I'm sure as hell not going to succeed in punching my way through this rock wall. My whole situation was absurd, I didn't understand why they went to such a length when imprisoning me. If Onoki wanted to torture me, he would go with physical torture. He knows I can't stand pain.

My mind shifted to his words again. " _I'm throwing both of you in prison until I decide what to do with you."_

What was there to decide? We were missing nin…why keep us in prison? Why not just kill us?

My eyes glanced at the gap in the floor next to me. Who's saying that they're not doing that already?

I panicked again. This was the only hole in the entire room, my only source of air. Did Onoki want me to suffocate?

My breathing turned to hyperventilating as I became frustrated with the rope around my wrists, not being able to wriggle my hands out of it. I laid down on the floor, deciding to scream for help until someone comes or something happens, when I felt light breeze on my skin.

That was the last time I panicked because nothing else happened after that. After I calmed down I went back to the bench and concentrated on the gap. I saw only earth floor when I looked through it, but it could've been another room, or a hallway. Maybe there was a window there, maybe that's why light suddenly appeared.

I fell asleep before I could confirm that theory. The light was still on when I woke up and there were food pills on the floor, pushed through the gap. What, now they wanted me to live off of nutrients cramped up in some pills? What the hell were they planning?

There was no way to tell the time. Light didn't go off again, meals were irregular, and my sleeping too. Every time I woke up I'd find myself in the same cell, in dead silence, without any answers.

Why was I here? For how long already? Why not just kill me, why make me wait?

I thought for sure my Akatsuki blackmail will work. When Deidara told me that Onoki secretly employed a criminal organization, I thought that there was no better tactic to go with. Onoki will be pissed, but otherwise unable to do anything if we don't want to tell other villages he was in some way connected to the Akatsuki. He'd reluctantly pardon us and everything would go back to normal.

I underestimated him. He was well versed in the kage business and knew how to get away with things. Iwa shinobi were loyal to the bone, of course no one will bat an eye at him. He could probably survive other villages threatening him, if his Akatsuki deal ever gets out in the first place.

I had my Nara trump card ready for use too, but maybe I should've worded it differently. Maybe I should've said that Nara and Konoha won't rage war if he pardons us. I didn't go with that because I doubted Onoki will let any other village, Konoha especially, blackmail him. But the pardon thing didn't work either. I was in the wrong the whole time. The pardon was for my mother, not for me, which was something that never crossed my mind.

The third plan was to offer him something he'll consider valuable and that was all the insider information I gathered during my travels. That should've been more important to him than refusing to pardon us. That should've given me an upper hand, yet for some reason it only made him enraged and I ended up here.

Maybe my head got clouded with anger. But it was hard to remain calm when everything was playing out just like it did three years ago. He heard all my arguments but ignored them, barely giving me a glance as I stood there telling him all this is easily solvable if he only budges a little bit. I wanted him to see that he's in the wrong and change his ways, but it felt as if I was yelling my thoughts at a mountain.

Every plan I had, failed miserably.

And that's why I was here now.

Because obviously I was wrong. I put too much trust into everything, in myself the most. Worst of all, I made Deidara trust me, only to absolutely betray that trust. I kept telling him I got this, that I know what I'm doing, but the only thing I succeeded at was at getting us both imprisoned. Akatsuki was a way better option than being forced to follow my stupid plans. But I was so selfish I never asked him what he wanted.

I was wrecked. I was miserable. I thought I was the smartest person in the world, when I was just a naïve little kid that didn't think any of this through. I deserved every second of this prison.

But Deidara didn't and it was killing me that he's imprisoned because of me, because I knew he would've been better off had I not insisted he comes back to Iwa with me.

Why did I force him to it? Why did I spend so much time just to bring him back, when obviously, as Onoki so bluntly put it, neither of us cared about the village.

I could have stayed and resumed my place as an Iwa shinobi, a choice that Onoki would interpret as me being loyal to the village, but in reality I'd have no more loyalty inside me than I have right now. Iwa wouldn't be my home without Deidara and I firmly believed in that. I guess it was obvious that I wasn't loyal - I just never thought about it from that perspective. Like I didn't think about many other things.

This whole issue made it easier for me to decipher Shikaku's words. He said he wants me to think of my village as my family, which now I understood as 'everything you would do for your family, you have to be willing to do for your village'. Shikaku was smart, he could see that I didn't care about my village at all since I've had no problem leaving it. Why didn't he stop me, why didn't he say that going back doesn't make any sense?

He did tell me to act if there's something I consider wrong. And I did, I dedicated three years to fixing what was wrong only to achieve absolutely nothing. We both thought Onoki's mind could be changed and we were both wrong.

Another thing to add on my growing pile of things I was wrong about.

The food pills that I was given were enough to keep me sustained, but their purpose wasn't to feed a shinobi for multiple days. They were purely for emergency situations. I didn't get enough nutrients which was why I felt tired all the time, lying down on that bench and lazily blinking at the gap in front of me. I would think about a certain thing for hours, then fall asleep, then wake up and continue. I don't know how much time I spent thinking and overthinking and beating myself up. Deidara knew when to stop me, but in this enclosed space time stood still since there was barely any change in my surroundings. So it just got worse and worse.

I hoped he was okay. I hoped he had it better than I did.

I did care about him. More than I thought I did, I guess. I'd choose his company over anyone else's. We were a good team, we knew each other well. We understood one another better than the rest.

Except that whole thing with C0, that's one thing I didn't get. I mean, I understood his reasoning, but I couldn't put myself in his shoes completely. If I had a technique like that, I would've thought about him before choosing to die. I thought about him almost every day for three years. Did I assume or did I hope he does the same?

I should've been smarter. I shouldn't have expected anything, I should've just followed him to the Akatsuki. That'd be three years better spent, compared to going back to Iwa only to walk straight into a prison cell.

Why didn't I go with him to the Akatsuki? I wanted us to be a team again but it's not like we were bound to any particular place. So why was it always 'go back to Iwa'?

Because you are just as bad as Onoki, Sayomi. You never stopped to think about doing something other than this. If you left Iwa to look for the only person you cared for, obviously destination didn't matter. You could've gone anywhere else. You hate that Onoki is so stubborn, but you didn't move an inch from this 'perfect' plan in your head. You are just as bad as he is.

And I think that realization was the last straw. Regret filled my body and I laid there with tears in my eyes.

I fucked up. I fucked up so badly. I was a hypocrite through and through. I was stubborn and selfish. So selfish. I wanted everything to be how I wanted it, forcing other people to comply, doing all that I could to make it work. There were other options, other paths I could've followed, but no. My mind was set in stone, even when I openly disliked my own sensei for being like that.

I didn't feel sorry for myself. I felt guilty and there was nothing I could do about it, so it ate me alive.

My naps gradually became longer. I'd wake up for a little bit and then fall into slumber all over again, as if I'm trying to recharge myself but it's impossible to do it by just sleeping. I didn't mind it since my dreams were more pleasant than the reality I was in, and better than the thoughts that kept weighing me down.

I managed to shake out of it next time I opened my eyes. Something was bothering me. It became so bright all of a sudden.

And I was right. The wall was down and I saw a male shinobi standing in front of me. I guess Onoki finally decided on the method of execution.

Fear paralyzed my body more than my exhaustion did. I had no problem with dying, but I knew that dying is never painless. I didn't want any pain.

"Good, you've woken up." He spoke as I shielded my eyes. "You're being released."

What?

Another shinobi peeked through before yelling: "She's awake!"

Kurotsuchi?

Huge shadow fell over me as I frantically blinked, trying to focus my eyes. But the light hurt me too much so everything was blurred. I propped myself up, finally recognizing a color in my line of view.

Yellow?

"Long time no see, Sayomi." The huge man smiled, yellow scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Akatsuchi." I let out, my voice raspy and hoarse.

"It may be a while before she walks." Male voice said.

"No problem." Akatsuchi picked me up with one hand, placing me on his back as I continued to shield my eyes from the light.

"I'm glad you're back, Sayomi-nee." I looked down on Kurotsuchi smiling at me. "A lot has happened you know. You won't believe us when we tell you."

"I'm glad you're back as well, Sayomi." Akatsuchi said and I nodded, burying my face in his back.

I guess I'm not going to die after all.

* * *

 **Yoo, I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to upload this chapter. I said two weeks but it's kinda been three. Two reasons for that; 1. Midterms man, they sneaked up on me. 2. I actually wasn't satisfied with the initial version of this chapter. I considered uploading it just because it's not that important of a chapter, but hell I really wasn't satisfied with it, so I took my time to rewrite it.**

 **As I said, it's really not that important of a chapter since nothing's going on, but I wanted to show just how crushed Sayomi is after everything that's happened. Her defeat made her realize things she otherwise wouldn't, and that will be important for the upcoming chapters.**

 **Good news is, my last midterm is this friday so I may have new chapter up next week because you deserve it after being so patient with me. Bad news: I need to consult with anime for future chapters, to make sure I'm going in the right direction.**

 **Thank you for reading, and be sure to leave a review to give me a will to live. Jk, but it really helps me get down to writing when I know what your thoughts are about this story. Also, to everyone who has left me a review on my last chapter, thank youu. :)  
**


	40. Part 2, Chapter 20

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 20**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi didn't say where they were taking me nor what was going on, but as long as it was away from that cell I didn't particularly care.

We went up a long flight of stairs and exited on the street basked in daylight. I managed to sneak a glance at the building I was in, recognizing it as a shinobi storage. I thought it was unusual I wasn't in actual prison, but it made sense seeing I really was kept underground.

The outside world was dazzling and deafening. My eyes still hurt a lot from the transition. Turns out my cell wasn't as bright as I thought it was, so I shielded my face as we made our way through the streets, my eyes overflowing with tears that tried to minimize the strain. Everything around me was blurry and loud, but hell, I was so grateful I could breathe in fresh air and see the sky.

After a couple of minutes Akatsuchi took a turn and smell of ramen filled the air. He placed me down in a booth and I rubbed my eyes, the ramen place looking familiar.

"It's been such a long journey." Akatsuchi yawned as he sat down. "I'm glad we're back."

I raised my eyebrow as Kurotsuchi shook her head. "She doesn't know where we've been, Akatsuchi."

"Oh, right. We'll tell you everything as we eat."

"Three portions of ramen, then." Kurotsuchi turned to leave.

"Wait, I'll puke if I eat something like that right now…can you ask for tea instead?" She nodded and I shifted my eyes at Akatsuchi.

"Can you please help me with the rope?" I showed him my bound wrists and he broke the seal on the knot, helping me get it off. I rubbed my wrists, leaning on the wall beside me. "Thanks."

"They only have green tea." Kurotsuchi came back with a steaming cup and I wrapped my hands around it, letting out a sigh. "That's fine, thanks."

"You don't look all that well, Sayomi-nee." She sat opposite of us. I was still pretty tired, physically and emotionally, and the change of ambience was a bit too much for me at the moment. I could feel a headache approaching.

"How long have I been imprisoned?" I massaged my temple.

"Around three weeks." My eyes widened.

"You can't be serious." Now I really wondered how I didn't go insane. "Where…How's Deidara?" They shared a look. "We don't know where he's being kept. We didn't know where you were either, until now."

"I hope he's not in the same place I was." I looked at my cup of tea.

"I'm sure he's fine." Akatsuchi tried to console me and I nodded, not wanting to talk about Deidara right now. I didn't actually know how he is so this speculation was only making it worse.

"So what did I miss?"

"Didn't we agree we'll wait for ramen-"

"I meant what did I miss in those three years?" I wanted them to talk about something – anything really. I've had enough of silence and talking only with myself.

"Uhmm…we're both jonin now." Akatsuchi smiled sheepishly.

"I didn't expect anything less." I said, making Kurotsuchi smile as she rested her chin on her palm.

"I'm actually surprised you're not whining about not becoming Tsuchikage by now." I told her.

She shrugged. "I'm the only one who wants that title now, so it's not really bothering me I don't have it yet." Right, there's no competition anymore.

"What about you Akatsuchi? Are you still Onoki's bodyguard?" He nodded. "I also sometimes hold Doton training for genin. That's why I wasn't in the village when you and Deidara came back. Though Kurotsuchi told me all that's happened."

"You did good job, Kurotsuchi." I added and she raised her brow. "With the research about kinjutsu. I didn't expect you to find that much."

"You know, three of the four names belong to shinobi that were alive when First Tsuchikage classified it as kinjutsu. They were members of his family and though I'm not sure if grandpa met them, he had to be aware of their existence." She picked at her nails. "The fourth name belongs to a shinobi that died in Second Great Ninja War, but the old man I talked to is positive he had that kinjutsu before grandpa became Tsuchikage. So it's safe to say Mu-dono didn't sanction him."

She glanced at me. "I know that didn't help you much-" I shook my head. "That's not the point, I'm glad you researched it in the first place."

"No one talked about that part of family so this came as a surprise. Everyone only focused on the fact that two kage came from our clan."

"Kurotsuchi told me you have family in Konoha." Akatsuchi switched the topic.

"Yeah, my uncle and his family. My cousin's three years younger than me." Kurotsuchi raised her eyebrow.

"You've met them?"

I nodded. "They're nice. They helped me find Deidara and get him out of the village in one piece." Ramen finally arrived on the table and though I enjoyed the smell of it, I didn't have much trust in my stomach after surviving exclusively on food pills. So for the time being I stuck with tea.

"Why was I released?" I feared what the answer to that might be, but I couldn't avoid it any longer.

"Onoki decided to release you." Akatsuchi said.

"But why?"

"We first have to start from the beginning." Kurotsuchi broke her chopsticks. "Because a lot has happened. A few days after you were imprisoned, we got a word Konoha's been attacked."

"What?" My eyes widened. "By whom? Akatsuki?" They nodded, slurping their noodles.

"We later found out that they levelled the entire village to the ground because they wanted Kyuubi." She said.

"Had there been any casualties?" I bit my lip. They both shrugged. "Even if there were, we have no way of knowing who exactly."

"I'm sure your family's fine." Akatsuchi quickly added. I hoped that too.

"After that, Raikage summoned a Five Kage Summit at the Iron Country." I raised my brow. "What for?"

"His younger brother had been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. He's the eight-tails jinchuuriki."

"So that's where you two were, at the Summit?"

"We were grandpa's escort." Kurotsuchi confirmed.

"We were gone for almost two weeks. It's a long way to the Iron Country." Akatsuchi muttered.

"Did you like the snow?" I asked him.

"Not particularly."

"Oh shut up, Akatsuchi! At least you had your scarf." Kurotsuchi pointed her chopsticks at him and he grinned, pulling the scarf higher up his chin. Corner of my lips curled up in a smile. "Okay, and?"

"Well, they know grandpa's been involved with the Akatsuki." Kurotsuchi said as I sipped my tea, feeling my insides getting warmer.

"Raikage didn't like that. He didn't like anyone actually, said he can't trust anyone with the Akatsuki business since a lot of members previously belonged to their respective villages while not one member came from Kumo. Then Kazekage said every country except Konoha ignored Suna's plea for help against the Akatsuki. That they've been a threat everyone knew about for a while but turned a blind eye to." He wasn't wrong about that.

"He and grandpa got in a fight because grandpa said missing jinchuuriki are something each village has to take care of on their own, that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Kazekage then told him that's a useless old-fashioned rule." I stopped with a cup half-way to my mouth, catching Kurotsuchi's eyes.

"I immediately thought of you Sayomi-nee and I know grandpa did too."

"Great. And?"

"They concluded villages must do something regarding the Akatsuki issue so the samurai guy proposed an alliance." Akatsuchi continued. "Since Konoha is the only one that still has their jinchuuriki, Hokage was almost put as the leader."

"Almost?"

"Kiri shinobi realized Hokage is casting a genjutsu on the samurai guy." Kurotsuchi added. "Wasn't his name Mifune, Akatsuchi?"

"Could be." Akatsuchi said with full mouth.

"Wait, Tsunade-hime really cast a genjutsu?" Kurotsuchi furrowed her brows. "She wasn't there."

"But she's the Hokage."

"No, some Danzo guy is Hokage now." I pursed my lips in thinking. "I don't know who that is."

"Anyway, things got heated and then this thing appeared." Kurotsuchi waved her hand.

"What thing?"

"He looked like a man that someone cut in half." She gestured at her face. "One half of his face was missing." The description was pretty vague so I had trouble picturing it.

"I wouldn't say he was human at all." Akatsuchi said as he downed the rest of the broth.

"He didn't stay alive much longer though. Raikage killed him as soon as he said Sasuke Uchiha was in the building."

Well this was just getting better and better.

"What's Raikage got to do with Sasuke?"

"Oh right, we forgot to say that Sasuke Uchiha was the one who took Raikage's brother."

"You said Akatsuki took him."

"He's in the Akatsuki."

"Since when is Sasuke Uchiha in the Akatsuki?" They didn't understand me being so confused about it but I didn't bother explaining it. I could only imagine the scope of Deidara's distaste had he known who joined the Akatsuki after he left.

"Raikage wanted Sasuke dead so he and Kazekage left to find him. Their escorts followed to provide support while I went to spectate." Kurotsuchi smirked. "I wanted to see how strong Raikage is. Kazekage isn't that bad either, he's younger than us and already a kage. Made me wonder what's grandpa waiting for." Part of me wanted to brag how Deidara defeated Kazekage while he still had his tailed beast sealed inside him, but I guess that info is better off hidden.

So I shared something else.

"Deidara fought with Sasuke." They looked at me with wide eyes. "I stopped him before he could kill him." Sort of.

"Now I'm even more glad I followed after Raikage."

"I stayed with Onoki just in case." Akatsuchi said. "Mizukage and Hokage stayed as well because Kiri shinobi wanted to know why Hokage used genjutsu to make himself a leader of the alliance."

"Why did he want that so badly?" Akatsuchi shrugged.

"Raikage went all out on Sasuke and a couple of his teammates. He had lightning coming out of his body and was insanely fast. Sasuke got the better of him at one point, he put some kind of black fire on Raikage's hand so he had to cut it off because he couldn't extinguish it." Kurotsuchi got fired up just talking about it.

"Yeah, Sharingan is a tricky thing." I muttered. He cut off his hand just like that? Raikage is insane.

"Kumo shinobi said that was Mangekyou Sharingan, so I guess that's even worse. It was really cool though. They couldn't take Sasuke out completely, not even with Suna's help, and then the pillars came down so I had to hide."

"And then Sasuke came to us." Akatsuchi continued.

"Why was he there in the first place?" I didn't get that part. "Why come to the Five Kage Summit when you're a wanted criminal?"

"That we don't know."

"Well he didn't stay for long. Hokage managed to escape while Mizukage was preoccupied with Sasuke. Onoki then almost killed him with his Jinton. That's when things went from bad to worse."

"How worse can this possibly get?"

"Uchiha Madara appeared." I blinked. I regretted my question now.

"Isn't he…" I tried to remember what was written about him in those scrolls from long ago. "Didn't he form Konoha with the first Hokage? He should've been long dead by now."

"Apparently he is Akatsuki's leader."

"Isn't Pein leader?" They stared at me dumbfounded so I waved my hands. "Never mind."

"He shared his Eye of the Moon plan with us; Akatsuki's goal was to collect the bijuu so he can use them to revive juubi."

I opened my mouth to say how that's not what Deidara told me but so far I've been wrong about things. Seems a lot has changed in three weeks.

"He'll then use juubi to project Sharingan on the moon and place everyone under eternal genjutsu."

"What does that mean?"

"He mentioned everyone will become one with him under that genjutsu. He'd create fake peace." This plan was just as insane as the 'monopoly on war' one.

"So the five kage formed a Shinobi Alliance to protect the remaining two jinchuuriki and stop Uchiha Madara. We're now in Fourth Shinobi War." Akatsuchi finished, the three of us growing silent.

I tapped my fingers on the table, staring into the distance. "So we're going to war?"

"Yeah, daimyo's formally ratified the Alliance. Raikage ended up being the leader." I bit the inside of my lip. What the hell? A war? Just like that?

"On our way back grandpa said we are to release you. He didn't say anything about Deidara-nii though." Kurotsuchi tried to catch my eyes.

"What does he want?"

"We have to escort you to him later." So more talking I take it.

"I want to go to my flat first." It was ridiculous how much stuff has happened in three weeks' time.

"I'll go with her Akatsuchi. You report to grandpa." We stood up.

"See you later, Sayomi." I waved at him as we parted on the entrance of the restaurant.

I haven't really moved around in a while so I took it slowly, making Kurotsuchi step on a break and follow my pace. My eyes finally adjusted to the light but direct sunlight still hurt a lot. My other senses sort of went back to normal. Noise didn't upset me as much anymore even though it was around lunch time and every restaurant we passed was filled with people. I didn't feel completely like myself just yet, though I was better. I contributed that to the fact that the outside world wasn't as static as my prison cell, so my mind shifted to observing my surroundings rather than focusing on the thoughts in my head.

Kurotsuchi kept glancing at me since I didn't speak at all and mostly looked around or at the floor whenever sunlight decided to blind me, but she finally lost it when I crouched down to pet a stray cat and didn't move for about a minute.

"You're really annoying me, Sayomi-nee. What's wrong with you?" I didn't know where to begin with that.

"I was the only one that believed you'll come back, until first year passed and we heard rumors that Deidara-nii's in the Akatsuki. We all assumed you were too. I wanted to meet you and kick your ass for not keeping your promise." I glanced at her, standing up. "I still want to kick your ass for making me wait so long but for now I'm glad you're back. So you better snap out of it!" She seemed bothered by my lack of enthusiasm.

"We're going to war soon, you do understand that?" Onoki decided to release me as soon as the war started which didn't sit well with me. He didn't do it because he needed more fighting power, otherwise why not release his strongest shinobi if he's taking this war so seriously? No, he let me go because he knows I won't leave Iwa without Deidara.

I could tell he was going to blackmail me for something; my jutsu or my connection to Konoha, or both. I didn't want to be blackmailed, but if I get Deidara out with that…maybe that's the smartest thing to do.

"I do." I muttered.

"I told grandpa we should just kill the two remaining jinchuuriki to get this over with but the other kage disagree. So we have no choice, if Madara wins it will affect everyone." She probably thought I was scared of war, which I wasn't. For some reason that whole war thing didn't upset me at all. As if that was happening in some other world I was disconnected from and for the first time I didn't mind it.

"Killing Naruto wouldn't do us any good." I cut her off. "That's the name of Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. He wants to become Hokage." She didn't say anything at that so I bit my lip, swallowing the rest of my words. No one mentioned how that Alliance could've existed way before Akatsuki decided to take seven tailed beasts. Kazekage said it himself, no one cared about all those jinchuuriki until the problem began to affect everyone.

That's why I didn't believe Onoki will protect the remaining jinchuuriki. He's going to war because he must, because other kage pressured him, not because he wants to.

"Look, grandpa may be stubborn and old, but he's not a bad person. He didn't even write you two off as missing nin when you left." Was she trying to make me forgive him?

"I will fight, but don't think anything's changed, Kurotsuchi." I said, avoiding her eyes. "I'm still a missing nin."

"What?"

"I didn't resolve the issue with Onoki, he didn't change his mind and I'm done trying to get to him." I knew she understood me. I'm not resuming my place as an Iwa shinobi. I didn't want to anymore. Returning back to Iwa had been a wrong call and I couldn't shake that out of my mind. I'll do what I must to get Deidara out and then I'm done with this place.

"So you've given up, is that it? Three weeks of prison somehow changed your mind?" Her words sounded like she's mocking me, as if she can't believe that I was so shaken up by the imprisonment.

"You have no idea how much I regret ever coming back here." I spat out and turned around, proceeding to my flat. I didn't hear her footsteps going after me but not that it mattered. She cannot understand me and the last thing I need right now is her scoffing at me.

The doors were stuck in place so it took some pushing to get in my dark and stuffy flat. I went to pull the blinds, taking my clothes off in the process. They were way overused and dirty so I threw them aside before I stepped in the bathroom.

The mirror finally showed me how bad I actually looked; I was pale, had dark bags under my eyes and my lips were all bitten. I turned around, seeing two chakra restraining seals on my bare back. I took a deep breath and pulled them off, propping my hands on the sink as I felt pain in my stomach.

I stepped in the shower, deciding to wait for my chakra to recharge before I attempt any meditation. Once I made sure I scrubbed every inch of myself clean, I threw myself on the bed. Onoki can wait. There's no way I'm going there without my chakra getting back to normal.

It seems Akatsuki had organizational layers not even Deidara knew about. Madara replaced Pein somehow, or maybe Pein was Madara all along, and the world control through war got switched with world control through genjutsu. It seemed so unreal, especially after I was isolated for three weeks, so that may explain why I didn't feel as if that war had anything to do with me.

Of course Madara pulling us into eternal genjutsu wasn't good. But my own situation wasn't good. What am I supposed to do now? Do I bail Deidara out? For that I'll have to somehow fool shinobi looking after me, because no way Onoki took any risk. Do I bide my time? What the hell do I do?

In three weeks I only managed to bring myself down so I've had no plans on what to do if I get a chance to get out.

I need my chakra back first. And with that thought I fell asleep.

The sun had already set when I came to my senses. For a first time in a while I woke up rejuvenated as opposed to tired, courtesy of my chakra slowly returning to normal. I stretched and sat up, feeling the silence of my dark apartment. I ignored the rock door that connected my flat to Deidara's, choosing to stare at the dirty balcony doors instead. Kurotsuchi said they were supposed to escort me to Onoki so it was weird they didn't come yet. I didn't know whether I should wait for them or not.

I rummaged through my dresser, trying to find something clean to wear. I had spare black pants in one of my scrolls but not a spare kimono jacket. I didn't have much luck though, and the only thing that still fit me was a mesh t-shirt I couldn't remember ever wearing and a black zipper jacket that I couldn't zip up completely because it was too tight for me. My entire wardrobe not fitting me was a clear sign how much three years can do to a person.

Still waiting for someone to get me, I paced back and forth, dragging my fingers across all surfaces throughout my flat and collecting the dust with my fingertips. Eventually I came back to my dresser, using my sleeve to clean a layer of dust on top of the team photo. I studied our faces, thinking how Akatsuchi looked exactly the same as I remembered him, even though the photo proved he got older. We all looked more mature now, hell even I became taller. Despite that, some things didn't change in the slightest.

I looked at the clay bird next to the photo, picking it up so I can wipe it. The dust seemed glued to the clay and when I put a bit more force into it, the bird slipped out of my hands and shattered.

I stared at the white pieces on the floor, lump in my throat getting bigger.

I half-ran out of the flat, gasping for fresh air as I fought back my tears. I've had enough. I'll go to Onoki myself. I need to figure out what to do, how do I fix this mess I got us in because of my own stupidity.

Lampposts were on and there weren't many people on the street. Light wind was messing up my hair as I took deep breaths, making my way to Tsuchikage building without even paying attention which path I'm taking.

The building was empty so no one tried to stop me as I went straight for Onoki's office, entering after a quick knock. Only the light on his desk was on, casting a shadow on the short man standing near the window. A single chair was in front of his desk and as I took my seat he turned around.

I came to this meeting convinced that arguing with Onoki is futile. If I couldn't change his mind before he certainly won't change it now. So maybe this time I should keep my mouth shut instead, comply, and see if that can get Deidara out.

"I take it Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi briefed you." He said, sitting down at his desk. "But there's still a lot more that you need to hear."

I didn't know what to expect so I remained silent. "Before we discuss that, I need your candid answer." He looked straight into my eyes. "Why have you decided to return to the village?"

I wasn't sure I understood him. "Didn't I answer that three weeks ago?"

"You didn't. You went straight to blackmailing me." I looked away. "I…I was angry on you because you made Deidara leave. So I left to bring him back, thinking maybe you'll listen to me then and change your mind so everything can go back to normal, go back to what was supposed to be. But that was stupid and I shouldn't have done it." I muttered the last part.

"I was certain the only reason you have for coming back here is to fight me." Well that was what Deidara wanted.

"I expected far more from you two-"

"Why have you released me?" I cut him off. "You didn't kill me because you need me to participate in this war, right?"

"I imprisoned you because you decided to put a target on yourself and everyone else by boldly sharing you've infiltrated other villages. That, plus the fact that Deidara is in the Akatsuki, would make it seem as if Akatsuki is acting on Iwa's agenda. Other villages would ally against us and we wouldn't stand a chance."

"So you've kept me underground for three weeks instead of just killing me and getting it over with?" I couldn't hide my bitterness. I wasn't in the mood. I wasn't in the mood to pretend like I'm fine. I don't know if I'll actually be able to keep my mouth shut.

"Your imprisonment was devised specifically to weaken you." My eyes widened. "So that you can't immediately come and kill me once I decide to release you." I doubt I'd be able to pull that off.

"Space-time ninjutsu can bypass any barrier ninjutsu. You'd use it to free Deidara and then we'd have a team of long-distance experts with bakuton and space-time ninjutsu in their arsenal attacking the village." I could picture it. Iwa would be in ruins. I guess I underestimated how much of a threat we represented.

"You can then understand my confusion when the two of you decided to not attack me." His eyes were observing me as if he doesn't believe a word I'm saying. That maybe we did come here just to kill him after we pull off this elaborate act.

"Well what do you want me to say? I'm as stubborn as you, you old geezer, I insisted I could change your mind without using force which then resulted in us getting into this mess!" The lump in my throat returned. "You're the kage, aren't you? You're not supposed to look at someone and see only the clan they belong to, the kinjutsu they possess or the tailed beast sealed inside them. That's what I was trying to tell you." I gripped the edge of my chair, avoiding his eyes.

"You knew my mother was a Konoha shinobi for years yet you didn't treat me any differently because of it, but as soon as Hokage called me Nara you turn that into the biggest insult or-or more proof that I'm not loyal when it doesn't-" I bit my lip, stopping myself. I'm making it worse again.

"Just tell me what I need to do to get you to release Deidara." And after the war is done, we're out of here.

"Do you think I'm blackmailing you?"

"Well we both know I won't leave Iwa without him."

"He remained imprisoned because of Madara."

"Madara?" I raised my brow.

"He's the mastermind behind the Eye of the Moon plan as well as Akatsuki's leader. He's as prideful as ever, going to war against five villages." He scowled. "One advantage that we have right now is me, because I've fought with Madara once before. Our second advantage is Deidara, who knows exactly what's going on behind Akatsuki's scenes."

"He may not know much." He didn't even know about this Eye of the Moon plan.

"However, while everyone seems to know I've employed Akatsuki in the past, the other kage didn't acknowledge me holding one of Akatsuki's members captive." I narrowed my eyes.

"Hokage knows about Deidara though."

"Slug Princess is in a coma and Danzo ran off before he could say anything. Deidara openly betrayed Akatsuki when he did that interrogation in Konoha, so that's why I'm wondering: why didn't Madara kill him?" I nibbled on my lip, remembering something Deidara told me and never further clarified.

"'Akatsuki thinks I'm dead.'" I said. "That's what he told me. I guess Akatsuki knew Deidara will go after Sasuke so they assumed he'd been killed by him."

"He fought with Sasuke?"

"Yeah, he almost killed him." He smirked, which I thought was weird.

"Is it possible then that Madara doesn't know Deidara is alive?" I spread my hands. "Maybe he doesn't. It's also likely he doesn't deem him a threat." Not like I knew what goes on in Madara's brain.

Onoki seemed deep in thought. "You need to tell him we can't win this war without the intel he has and the skills he's got."

I frowned. "That's not necessary. Fighting in a war is something he wouldn't want to miss out on." This was Deidara we were talking about.

"We'll be moving out in a couple of days. Make sure you're ready."

"So does that mean you'll release him?" I asked.

"Not yet. Not until we confirm how much he knows and how much does that endanger him. For that I'll need to talk to the rest of the kage first." I nodded. This sounded promising. "In order for you two to participate in this war and aid the Alliance, I'll have to pardon you to make you Iwa shinobi again. But that doesn't mean anything." I stood up.

"And make no mistake." He gave me a look. "No one leaves the battlefield until Madara's mask cracks." He was alluding at me using my jutsu to run away yet my mind focused on something else.

"Mask?" I put my hand on the backrest as Onoki exhaled in annoyance. "Madara said he's weakened, which is to be expected since he's older than me. I presume that's why he had a mask on his face."

That sounded oddly familiar.

"You didn't see his face?" He shook his head and my eyes narrowed. That was weird. Onoki could've even confirmed that was him.

Deidara had two partners: Sasori and Tobi. Tobi who had no abilities, Tobi with a mask over his face, making Deidara unable to describe him to Ibiki.

"We need to talk to Deidara." I said. "I can't say for sure he knows anything about Madara but he does know something about that guy with the mask." My hunch was telling me we shouldn't ignore the mask part. Maybe it was completely irrelevant, but I don't think anything should be overlooked during a war.

"What-"

"I'm serious, we need to go and talk to him asap." He must've sensed I wasn't saying this on a whim even though confusion was still visible on his face. "I plan to talk to him tomorrow."

"Take me with you." I gripped the backrest. "Since you won't release him any time soon can I at least-"

"You're too dangerous to be-"

"Please!" I bowed my head at this request, my hair making a curtain over my face. "If I can't see where to teleport, my jutsu is useless. You only have to blindfold me to solve your problem."

He stayed quiet for a moment but I refused to raise my head until he complies. "Tomorrow morning. I'll send Akatsuchi over to you." I nodded, quickly leaving the office and then leaning on the closed doors.

I could've waited until he was properly released, but I really needed to talk to him.

I had to tell Deidara I'm sorry.

* * *

 **Okay okay, I know I promised new chapter for last week, but hear me out: today is actually one year anniversary of me starting this fic so I thought it was worth it to wait until today to post the 40th chapter (even though it's 39ch + the prologue but shhh).  
**

 **Forty chapters in one year. Can't believe I did that.**

 **And of course, one year of you reading this and supporting it. :) Thanks to everyone from the bottom of my heart! (now go review cuz it's the anniversary mwahah)**

 **Also a serious question and I'd really appreciate your input; I was thinking of bringing up Deidara's parents in one of the upcoming chapters but for the love of god I can't think of any names for them. I also don't want to think of a surname because I don't want to name him (Deidara) something lame just for the sake of it. So do you think I should leave them out, think of some lame names or just leave them completely nameless? I wouldn't mind letting them out of the story too but I think it could be fun.**

 **Also new chapter will go up in two weeks, once I come back home from Uni. Take care!**


	41. Part 2, Chapter 21

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 21**

 **Sayomi's POV**

The first thing I saw as I opened the doors of my flat were shattered pieces of clay on the floor. They remained visible even after I shut the doors and cut the street light off. I kinda hoped they will disappear on their own, but of course not, I had to be reminded I somehow managed to break the clay bird Deidara gave me more than ten years ago.

I didn't know what to do with myself so I sat down on the floor with a sigh, leaning on my dresser. I took one shard of clay in my hand, my fingers following its irregular shape, from the smooth clay surface to the sharp and pointy edges. I've never been much of a klutz so how could I've let it slip really boggled my mind. I didn't even try to save it, that's how out of shape I was. It really was such a shame.

I blew air out of my mouth, tapping my head on the dresser.

Admittedly, my talk with Onoki went better than I expected. The war situation ironically helped my cause, forcing him to release Deidara despite everything that's happened. He won't even use him as a means to blackmail me, which was something I feared will happen. To top it off, I'll get a chance to see him before he officially gets released and because of it I should've been relieved, happy, shocked even…yet here I was, feeling none of those things.

Frustrated. I was actually frustrated. My outburst during our conversation was further proof of that. I couldn't keep my mouth shut when he began with that 'I expected far more from you two' talk. I wanted to yell how I expected more from my own sensei, who I regarded as the smartest shinobi in the village, not just the most powerful one. He proved me twice so far that he was beyond stubborn and that for everything else I gave him too much credit.

I tried to figure out which part of the cracked bird was I twirling in-between my fingers, but it broke in such a way I couldn't tell. And as I stabbed my thumb with the pointy end of the shard for the hundredth time already, I told myself that there were obviously some things…some things you just cannot fix.

I'll never be able to accept Onoki's view of things nor change his mind so I should stop beating myself up about it. I couldn't have known how things will play out when I left the village three years ago. I couldn't have known that the whole thing would end up being a failure. Sure, I should've been smarter and thought about possible outcomes but in that moment I really wanted to bring Deidara back to Iwa. And I acted on that wish of mine.

I glanced at the shattered bird next to me.

Art of a single moment, huh?

An instant in which the explosion erupts – there for a split second until it's gone forever. You can't freeze it nor get it back. That's what that single moment signified. It's transient and you cannot change it how much you wish.

But I actually didn't want to change it.

I didn't regret coming back here. I didn't regret expressing my disapproval so openly. I didn't agree with Onoki and I felt that so strongly I left the village. Out of all the options I had available at the moment, I chose the best one. I sincerely believed that. No doubt that me staying in the village would've caused me more misery than going away with a set goal in my mind. I was aware of that before, so why did I come to the conclusion I regret it?

" _Why did you come back to Iwa?"_ Well it was because of everything I've told you, Old Geezer, and because this is my home. Regretting my action right now isn't going to change the outcome, so it's pointless to think back.

I don't regret anything I've done. I'll never regret saying what I really think. I felt those words in my chest.

I just have to be smarter from now on, pay more attention to possible outcomes, consider all options. Reign in on my stubbornness too, I guess. I can't undo my mistakes so I should make sure I don't do them again.

I scooped up the clay pieces in my hands, throwing them in the trash. I needed to pull myself together. That was partly the reason why I insisted to see Deidara before he gets released. I wanted to admit all my errors and let him be real with me; to tell me to knock it off, to stop this pointless overthinking. Well, I'm stopping it myself, right now.

Kurotsuchi was right. Stupid prison may have messed me up, but I wasn't in prison any more. I have to deal with certain things, particularly with the fact that I now owe two apologies.

I had to start from somewhere, so I left the apartment to do something I should have done hours ago.

I went to eat.

The restaurants on the main street were still working, each of them occupied by a couple of drunk shinobi. However, I continued to swerve through the streets, eventually stumbling upon a tiny little ramen joint where I took a seat. I was glad there was at least one place that wasn't filled with people.

Since I was the only customer I asked the chef to go all out with the spices when preparing my ramen. And he delivered, perhaps having too much fun in the process. The broth was shiny and rich, pieces of meat perfectly lined up on the side. I closed my eyes and clapped my hands, inhaling the scent of it. I was so grateful to finally be putting some real food in my system. Good thing my appetite got back as soon as I sorted everything in my brain.

Ramen hit the spot, warming me on multiple levels as the backburn traveled down my tongue and throat. My cheeks flushed, my sinuses got cleared, my eyes watered – all in all it was a proper Iwa ramen, just like I remembered it.

I didn't feel tired and my sleep schedule was ruined altogether, which is why I continued towards the forest instead of going back to my place. The clouds gave off this dark gray hue, hiding the stars and the moon, and though I didn't feel comfortable entering dead-quiet and pitch black forest, I had to do it all the more because it eerily reminded me of my prison cell.

I didn't go too far in. The moment the light from the village escaped me I sat down on the dewy grass, my legs in my lotus pose and the tips of my fingers connecting in an 'o' shape in front of my stomach.

I inhaled. Exhaled.

Last time I meditated was way back in Konoha, a month ago. Once I found Deidara I was so caught up in everything that I didn't do a proper session and then the whole prison thing happened and I was robbed of my chakra. I needed to get back in tune with it.

I concentrated on my breathing for a while, clearing my head and trying not to get deterred by sitting alone in darkness. As I shifted my attention to my chakra I carefully observed its flow, following it down my entire body to make sure all is right. I reconnected to it, for a while floating in time and space and just breathing in and out. Then I grounded myself, opening my eyes and tackling the darkness around me.

I went a step further in order to get that prison out of my system once and for all. I closed my eyes, visualizing the room in which I spent three weeks, sulking and feeling hopeless and helpless.

My fingers made a Seal of Confrontation and the brisk air got replaced by the stale one.

I was sitting back on the bench inside my cell, though I couldn't see it clearly because it was just as pitch black in there as I remembered it. Regardless, I knew I teleported to the right place – the silence and the darkness were especially familiar.

I kept track of my breathing and when I felt well enough I made a seal, teleporting to my balcony. I leaned on the fence, smile on my lips. I still had it.

Instead of going to sleep I decided to power through, going on a lengthy run around the village and the forest, following it up by another round of meditating. I suspected my taijutsu skills were incredibly rusty after not having a proper fight for nearly three years, which was a bit worrying. But without a sparring partner this was the only kind of training I could do on my own. Later I should find Kurotsuchi and let her kick my ass in taijutsu. Maybe that will cheer her up.

Around dawn I went back to my flat to wait for Akatsuchi. He arrived later in the morning, making me stop with the cleaning.

"I thought Onoki was pulling my leg when he said to blindfold you before I escort you to him." He said, holding a blindfold in his hand so I turned around, letting him tie it over my eyes.

"We're going to see Deidara and he wouldn't let me accompany him without the blindfold."

"That's the last thing I expected from Onoki." Yet so far he was holding his end of the agreement.

"Well it's urgent so he caved in." I grabbed Akatsuchi's sleeve, following after him. He was very patient, cutting down on his speed, announcing a turn upfront, even telling me when to avoid a bump. We must've been quite an attraction.

We went up and about for quite some time, which was probably intentional. Maybe Onoki didn't want me to remember the path to the prison just in case, and he succeeded in that. I had no idea where I was. I didn't even concentrate on sounds, just on Akatsuchi's voice that gave me directions. Once we finally stopped I heard Onoki's: "I'll take her from here Akatsuchi, good job."

"Say hi to Deidara for me." I let go of his sleeve. "Thanks, Akatsuchi."

I don't think Onoki thought this through at all. He was shorter than me, how was I supposed to follow him around?

Then I felt someone behind myself and the moment he put his hands on my shoulders I lost my footing.

"Whoa whoa, wait! Are we flying there?" I put my hands in front of myself. He could've announced it!

"Not for long. And stop flailing your legs." Onoki transferred his decreased gravity to me, making me fly and stirring me by turning my shoulders in whichever direction he wanted. Now I was sure we were the biggest attraction in the whole village, making me glad I was wearing a blindfold so I can't see people laughing at us.

A couple of minutes later my feet touched the ground again. He kept his hands on my shoulders, giving me directions where to go and how far. The echo of my steps told me we were entering in a building of some sort, the air around me becoming colder, a contrast to the sunlight that I could feel up until now.

"We're here." He said and I stopped, my ears picking up a set of footsteps moving from my right and to the left.

"Onoki-dono, may I have a word with you before you enter?" A female voice said and I tilted my head backwards.

"Can I go ahead?" I asked, mentally crossing my fingers. Onoki let out a sigh. "Yasuo, keep an eye on her." He let go of my shoulders as I heard the creaking of the doors on my right.

"He's in this hallway." Male voice said as I waved my hand about until I touched the opened doors, using it to find a way into the hallway. I barely made a step in and the doors closed behind me, which really confused me because I assumed that Yasuo guy will lead me to the correct cell. But they basically left me, a blindfolded person, to navigate my way through however I can.

I took a deep breath, extending my left arm and continuing onwards with false confidence.

"Deidara?" I stopped after a couple of steps, turning back to where I came from. My left arm touched something cold beside me and I wrapped my hand around what I recognized as a steel bar. Not a second later and a hand closed around mine.

"What the hell is going on? What are you doing?" His hand on mine made me grip the steel bar even harder, effectively preventing me from moving away.

"Thanks for staying silent, I could've walked into a wall!" A smile escaped my lips as I said those words, being so happy I can talk to him. Although he really did startle me. "How are you? You're not in complete darkness or something like that, are you?"

"What? No, un. What-"

"That's good."

"How's that good? I've been in here for three weeks already, I'm ready to blow up!" I could pinpoint his face from the direction of his voice and he was very close. "How come you're here? And why are you blindfolded, un?!"

"Too much stuff is going on so Onoki and I came here to ask you about a couple of things. The requirement was to wear a blindfold, so here I am."

"There's no way I'm talking to that Old Geezer." He didn't sound thrilled.

"What about talking to me? Because I need to check something with you."

"You better tell me what's going on then." Creaking of the door interrupted us and I got quiet.

"Did he enter in?" I asked Deidara, not moving my head.

"Yeah, he's here, un." I could only imagine the glare he was giving to Onoki.

"Did you brief him yet, Sayomi?" Onoki asked. "Not yet." I couldn't read faces in my current state so it took me a moment to realize he's waiting for me to do all the explaining.

"Right, uhm…" How do I condense three weeks into one sentence? "Akatsuki attacked Konoha because they wanted Naruto but failed at that, at some point Sasuke joined Akatsuki and kidnapped Hachibi who's Raikage's younger brother and then he called for a Five Kage meeting to do something about it, and then Uchiha Madara appeared on the meeting and said that Akatsuki's plan is something completely different than what you've told me so the Five Nations formed an Alliance to protect the remaining two jinchuuriki and defeat Madara and we're technically in a war right now." I said in one breath.

"Since when is Sasuke in the Akatsuki?" I knew he'll latch onto that. "I don't know. Raikage said he kidnapped his brother but in the end that turned out to be false. As for the scope of his involvement in everything, it's unclear."

"Uchiha Madara revealed himself as Akatsuki's leader." Onoki added.

"I don't know where you got that from. Pein is the leader."

"They don't know who that is." Turns out Deidara had outdated info.

"I would've known if there were two Uchiha's in the Akatsuki, un."

"Madara told them that Akatsuki's goal is to revive Juubi and project Sharingan on the moon, which is why they need all the tailed beasts. He wants to put everyone in genjutsu." I explained.

"Eye of the Moon plan." Onoki named it. "The end goal is infinite Tsukuyomi."

"That's definitely not what I was told. What's the purpose of infinite genjutsu?"

"Everyone will become one with him." Onoki answered.

"Become one with an Uchiha?" I stifled my laughter. He sounded so annoyed. "You're going to let me out, right Old Geezer?"

"You'll get your chance at fighting him soon enough, Deidara." Yet all I could hear was Deidara muttering under his breath: "I want to make him one with my art, un."

"Our main priority is to protect the remaining two jinchuuriki so that Madara cannot revive Juubi." Onoki continued.

"So they didn't succeed in capturing Hachibi and Kyuubi?" Deidara asked.

"No, and in order to keep it that way we'll have to fight off Madara and rest of the Akatsuki. Guards told me you weren't very cooperative with them, but now is not the time for you to refuse the interrogation. Before we even think about going into a fight we need solid intel about the remaining Akatsuki members."

"Then you should've come here earlier if you wanted to interrogate me."

"You wouldn't be talking to me right now if I were alone."

"You're right about that, un." He sneered and I cracked a smile. "I don't know how much has changed in the Akatsuki since I left. I never heard about Madara actually being our leader and the bijuu we were collecting had a different purpose."

"But there's something else you can tell us." I cut him off. "Madara appeared before the Five Kage, but don't be fooled, none of them actually saw him."

"What do you mean?"

"Madara had a mask over his face, so we didn't actually see him. That's what she meant."

"Was it an orange mask that looks like a swirl, covering his entire face except his right eye, un?" Deidara said after a moment of silence.

"Yes, that's correct." Onoki sounded taken aback.

"That's Tobi, un." I grinned like a lunatic. "I knew it! You mentioned a masked man at the interrogation and this immediately reminded me of him."

"Yeah, Tobi's the only one with a mask like that."

"That could've been Madara still. He must have tricked all of you into thinking he's someone else." Onoki argued.

Deidara inhaled sharply. "You've met Madara, didn't you?" He asked him.

"A long time ago."

"And how was he like?"

"Confident, prideful, merciless…he looked down on everyone, even on Mu-sama. He said to his face how Iwagakure shinobi only had purpose so long as they swore unwavering allegiance to Konoha. Whatever Konoha requests, Iwa has to obey."

"Tobi was useless, annoying as hell, childish, and all in all dumb, un. Are you saying Madara would pretend to be someone like that just to fool us? Would Madara let himself get blown up by me just to keep an act?"

"His pride wouldn't let him." I muttered.

"What if he did pretend? He seems to have gone quite a length to achieve his Eye of the Moon plan. Fooling an organization of missing nin shouldn't have been all that difficult for him."

"There's no way I was fooled by an Uchiha, un! Tobi was my partner when I had to take care of Sanbi and he was everything I described him to be." I remembered the manner in which Deidara depicted Tobi during the interrogation, and I could tell that he really was genuinely annoyed by him. "I'm skeptic that guy you met is Tobi to begin with, but let's say he really was putting a front to disguise the fact that he's the actual leader. That's still a lot more believable than picturing Madara pretending to be an idiot for so long, un."

"It's also possible Madara just switched with whoever Tobi is." Onoki was right to consider other options. The way he described Madara made it seem highly unlikely he behaved like Deidara claimed, but who knows how far Madara was willing to go. Still, something just didn't make sense to me.

"You wanna know why the whole mask thing doesn't sit well with me?" I broke my silence. "I mean, except the fact that Madara should've been long dead by now." I turned my head slightly to where I heard Onoki's voice coming from. "Out of the five kage, you're the only one who's ever seen Madara. You could identify him. So maybe that person is wearing a mask because he knows you can tell real Madara from an impostor, yet you can't do that just from voice alone."

"Why would Madara hide his face behind a mask in the first place?" Deidara asked.

"He's old."

"So old he hides his face, but young enough to fight the Five Nations?" I raised my eyebrow behind the blindfold.

"How come his back hasn't given in?" Onoki mumbled. Neither Deidara nor myself spoke, waiting for Onoki to make up his mind.

"So both of you think that's not Madara?" He carefully asked.

"I don't, un. Whoever Tobi really is, be it a true leader of the Akatsuki that no one knew about, he's good at playing a character."

"I have my doubts." I admitted. "I haven't met him so I can't be sure, but we can't ignore Deidara's account of him nor how suspicious some things are about that whole story." Onoki let out an audible sigh.

"Even if it's only a slim chance that's not really him, it shouldn't be overlooked. Madara would've been a serious problem. Whoever this is cannot give us more trouble than him."

"So now what?" I asked.

"Well, I need to share this with the rest of the kage. No doubt that they'll take our little speculation with a grain of salt, but we must include this option in all our plans. At the very least, young-lings like the Kazekage will be relieved. Madara is a fearsome opponent we better not meet on the battlefield, ever."

I really didn't like how grim Onoki sounded when talking about Madara. It made me wonder who's actually scared of him, 'young-lings' or the old man himself.

"This also explains why that so-called Madara didn't kill you yet, Deidara, despite you betraying the organization."

I bit my lip. Maybe we were wrong to consider so-called Madara as good news. Deidara's version of Tobi strengthened our suspicions about that man yet he was the only one who saw that other side of Tobi, the only one who could testify to it. Tobi was using Madara's name because he knows five kage would take it seriously, so if Deidara comes and says that's not really Madara…his whole plan crumbles.

If that's not really Madara, Deidara's in bigger danger than before.

His hand was still gripping mine and I froze for a second, thinking how I didn't have a chakra restraining seal on me. If I just do a Seal of Confrontation right now, I could teleport Deidara and myself out of here.

"Tobi was with me when my fight with Sasuke ensued. He left the battlefield as soon as I reached for my C4 attack and I didn't see him since. If I had to guess, he probably thinks I got killed by Sasuke, un." I balled my other fist. I can't do that, I can't teleport out of this one. This war is bigger than us and there's people I don't want to see dead. I can't bail out of this war. I don't want to.

"What about the rest of the Akatsuki members?" Onoki asked.

"Pein, who I thought was Akatsuki's real leader, was still alive when I left the organization. His partner, Kisame Hoshigaki, Itachi Uchiha, Tobi, and Zetsu as well. If Tobi's the real leader, Pein is either dead or was in on the act, un."

"One Akatsuki member got killed by Raikage on the summit." Onoki mentioned and I snapped my fingers, cursing myself for forgetting about it.

"Kurotsuchi told me he looked like someone took a man and cut it in half." I said.

"That could've been Zetsu. Or at least one half of him." Deidara recognized him. "He can produce clones of himself so I don't think Raikage actually killed the real one, un."

"That leaves us with six potential opponents."

"Five. Zetsu's not a fighter." Deidara retorted.

"We used to go to war against whole nations with at least a couple thousand shinobi on each side...We have grown weak."

I shook my head. "We wouldn't be going to war if each Nation took care of their jinchuuriki. Akatsuki will now use them against us." Shikaku was right to say that seven out of nine is still substantial power.

"That's why I'm not taking any chances. I'll revoke your missing nin status so that you may aid us in war."

"You're making us Iwa shinobi again?" Deidara didn't sound convinced.

"I'm making you members of the Alliance." Onoki clarified. Whatever, that's what was important.

"I don't care as long as I get a chance to fight whoever Tobi really is, un. If you don't let me out in time for that I'll blast out of this cell myself!"

"Patience, Deidara." I heard Onoki's footsteps getting farther away. "Sayomi." He called and Deidara moved his hand away. I guess our talk was finished.

"Can you give me a minute?" I asked, thinking I maybe should've lowered it to thirty seconds just to make Onoki agree on it.

"Not a second more." Doors closed after him and I stirred my head towards Deidara.

"I already pushed my luck with Onoki to come here so I doubt he'll give me more than a minute. So don't interrupt me." I inhaled, feeling anxiety building up in my stomach. I didn't prepare an apology and now I faced the trouble of wording it properly.

"Remember when we graduated from the Academy?" I let it spill out of before I run out of time. "Remember how I was dead last because I was no good in ninjutsu and hated taijutsu? I thought about giving up, that maybe I was just not fit to be a shinobi. I still went to the ceremony next day, not expecting anything, and then I was put into your team and my whole mindset changed. You said you wanted to be Tsuchikage and I wanted to support you on your way. I advanced so I could keep up with you. And why you? Because back when we first met I thought you were better than me. You connected yourself to your art and I envied you so much because you weren't lost and lonely like I was. So in a way, I connected myself to you and your art and your Tsuchikage dream, and I wasn't alone anymore."

I could feel tears gathering near my lower eyelashes. I better hurry this up before my voice gives in.

"I couldn't stay in Iwa after you left. I didn't want to. What would be the point? I wanted everything to go back to what it was, to when I was the happiest, so I constructed this insane plan to bring you back. I don't regret it, but it wasn't fair to you. Why would you go back to the sensei that betrayed you? I didn't think about that at all. I didn't think about what you wanted. So I'm…" Crap, I could feel my tears spilling. Thank goodness I was wearing a blindfold. "I'm sorry about forcing you to come here. I was selfish and-and stubborn, and I'm sorry you ended up in prison because of me. That wasn't what I wanted." I heard the doors opening and guard announcing that the time's up.

"I'm a coward actually. I should've just followed you to the Akatsuki. Would've saved me a walk." I cracked a smile, trying to stop my tears. The guard quickened his pace for some reason, putting his hand on my shoulder and pulling me away. I wasn't eager to follow him just yet.

"You can say something now." Don't make me look like a bigger idiot than I was already.

"Stop crying, goddamit." What?

My hand went to my cheek and the guard used my temporary confusion to pull me further away. My cheek wasn't wet, so how did he know I was crying?

I cemented my feet on the floor, adamant I'm not leaving before I hear his answer.

"How did you-"

"I know you better than you know yourself, Say. You can't fool me." The guard put his hand on my arm, using more force to pull me away.

"One more thing; I broke the bird you gave me." I blurted out.

"Hah, that's the art of the single moment for ya, un!"

"I know!" I grinned. "But I still need you to make me another one."

"This time you'll get a bat."

"That's fine too. Oh and, Akatsuchi says hi!" Doors closed behind me and I exhaled, shaking the guard's arm off of me.

"I thought he'll bend the steel bars." He muttered and I really wished I could've seen him just for a moment.

"You only have to keep being on guard for a couple more days, Yasuo." The female guard said.

"You can't release him yet." I didn't want to say that but my thoughts from before were still nagging me. "Onoki?" Where was he?

"I'll release him after I schedule a meeting with the rest of the kage-"

"Not even then. You mustn't release him before the battles start." I cut him off. "Madara didn't plan for Deidara to be alive and on our side. The prison is the safest place for him right now."

"We won't discuss this here." His voice was now closer and he put his hands on my shoulders, lifting me off the ground.

"The three of us are the only ones who suspect that Madara is an impostor. That's a delicate piece of intel and we mustn't be too hasty about it. For the time being we keep quiet, understood?" He said as we descended and I nodded.

"Can I take my blindfold off now?" I got no answer so I untied it, looking up and squinting at Onoki's flying figure.

I exhaled, rubbing my eyes and thinking how I should go and find Kurotsuchi, when someone's hand wrapped around my neck.

"I've been keeping an eye on your chakra for a while, kid. I figured I should wait until you're finished with Onoki-dono." My eyes widened and I stirred my head, meeting with Rin-sensei's smiling face.

"Rin-sensei!" I haven't seen her in so long yet despite her hair now being longer than I remembered, she was overwhelmingly familiar.

"I'm glad you're back, Sayomi. Now, come with me. There's something we need to talk to you about."

* * *

 **Guess who got sick AF as soon as the winter break started? Me.**  
 **Guess who wrote five different takes of this chapter before being satisfied? Yep, also me.**

 **Sorry about that though.**

 **Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2018 was good to you and 2019 will be even better. I'm really thankful for you reading this story and sticking with it. It means a lot to me and you're responsible for making my 2018 that much better. Let's continue that into 2019 too (with a bit more reviewing this time *fingers crossed*)  
**

 **All jokes aside, thank you for reading and I'll see you soon :)**


	42. Part 2, Chapter 22

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 22**

 **Sayomi's POV**

Rin-sensei wasted no time on explaining herself or the situation. While I was preoccupied with wiping leftover tears from my eyelashes, she used her hand around my neck to drag me into her favorite restaurant – to a cubicle occupied by Masaki quietly sitting and reading a book.

He gave us a curt nod as we took a seat opposite of him, acknowledging our presence without averting his eyes from the pages. I looked around, smell of food in the air stirring hunger inside my stomach.

Rin-sensei didn't speak up even now so I looked at her: "You said there's something you need to tell me."

"Not just me. We're waiting for Tenchi." I raised my eyebrow but she put her palm up, signaling me to be patient.

The first time I met the three of them; Rin, Masaki, and Tenchi, was on our first mission outside of village. They were sent as our backup, tasked with taking care of rogue Ishi shinobi tormenting small villages all over the Land of Earth. I assumed they weren't a joke since they got assigned to such a dangerous mission but I haven't really thought much of them until, well, until Rin became my sensei after I passed the Chuunin exams.

She didn't change all that much in three years. Except her hair I guess. Instead of sporting her black hair in a short bob, she grew it out, bangs covering her forehead. I thought she was so serious when I first met her, partly because of her looks, partly because I knew she was former Anbu and the best sensory shinobi in the village. That was no small feat. Despite that I found her kind, and as both of us got more relaxed with one another, she showed me she has an immature side as well – visible when she'd abandon my training to play shogi and eat sweets.

The murmur of the people inside the restaurant mixed with the clanking of dishes and sizzling coming from the open kitchen area. Such a setting makes it impossible to eavesdrop anyone, and I would know because I frequently made that mistake in Kirigakure. What ever the topic we're about to discuss is, it'll stay inside this cubicle.

Seeing as both Masaki and Rin-sensei had no intention to brief me, I raised myself from the seat, waving to the patron in the back. He noticed me and turned to the cook, saying: "I need a plate of yakitori for Masaki's table." To which I yelled: "Extra spicy, please!"

I looked at the two of them. "Do you want anything?"

They both shook their heads. "It's too early for lunch." She waved me off.

Maybe that was true in her case but I haven't had any breakfast. My kitchen was empty and I didn't want to leave my apartment and miss Akatsuchi stopping by. I might as well use this opportunity to eat.

Tenchi appeared shortly after, sliding onto a bench and putting his hands up as Rin-sensei glared at him.

"Do you know how busy Kitsuchi and myself are? We need to go over lists of stored weapons and decide whether we're armed properly, whether the medic nin have all the supplies, order for things to be packed, figure out how to get to Kumo in the first place – oh, and-" He stopped with his excuses, turning to Masaki. "How many Iwa shinobi are actually trained to wield swords?"

"Just Anbu members." Rin-sensei answered and he scoffed. "You Anbu don't count. Do you know how many swords we have that just collect dust in the storage? Over a-" The patron brought my yakitori serving on the table, making Tenchi reach for it and forget what he was talking about.

"You have no idea how hungry I am, thanks a bunch!" Then his nose wrinkled and he looked closer at the skewered pieces of meat on the plate. "What-"

"Extra spicy." He finally noticed me, hitting the table with his palm.

"Right, that's why I should try not to be late. I thought you were someone else, Sayomi. Sorry about that." He shot an apologetic smile at Rin-sensei who was pinching the bridge of her nose.

"How are you Iwa's third in command is beyond me." She said as he handed me my plate. The meat smelled incredible.

"I thought only Kitsuchi ate that stuff." He muttered, waving to the patron and asking for another serving. "Relax Rin, I didn't forget we planned this."

"Doubt it." Masaki had to add.

"Look." Rin-sensei turned to me with a sigh. "Kitsuchi's been keeping us informed about the two of you ever since you returned to the village, and Kurotsuchi herself told us what happened in Onoki-dono's office weeks ago. We know you weren't pulling any punches against Onoki-dono." I endured her stare, trying to read her thoughts.

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No, but it made the three of us…talk and we decided that, in case Onoki-dono releases you and you don't immediately leave the village or attack it, we'll tell you a couple of things you need to know about Iwa's history…and about Onoki-dono. Maybe that will help you see the bigger picture here."

"She's basically saying that you need to hear these things primarily from Masaki, because he's the oldest." Tenchi added, his jab at Masaki going under the radar.

I took a yakitori from my plate. "Okay, I'm listening." They got me curious by being so vague about it, I admit.

Masaki looked up, hazel eyes piercing into mine. "Rin and Tenchi want to tell you a whole other story, but it wouldn't make sense without me providing the context." He shut his book.

"Generation that reached adulthood just as the Third Great Ninja War commenced is widely regarded as Iwa's Golden generation. It's called that because we were blessed with many powerful shinobi with carefully honed skills, majority of them coming from Iwa's native clans and inheriting their kekkei genkai. Hayato Ishii was one of those shinobi."

I stopped with my chewing. "You knew my father?" He nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"You were a war orphan, it wasn't my place." He said.

"He didn't tell anyone except the Anbu when they came to confirm Hayato was your father. I take it you're aware of the investigation Onoki-dono ordered regarding your parents." Rin-sensei added.

"I am, but how do you know about it?"

"I was still in Anbu back then. I wasn't a part of that three-man team that had to infiltrate Konoha, but I was involved in strategic planning on how to effectively execute that mission. Konoha is no easy place to infiltrate undetected and a wrong move on our part would've plunged Iwa in a diplomacy scandal." Well, in more ways than one that would've been a diplomacy scandal.

"I connected that mission to you only later, when Masaki finally spoke up. I recognized which members came to interview him."

"But…" I guess it would've been weird if someone just came up to me and said they knew my father. Not like I particularly cared back then. But still, it had to be weird for him to know who I am and not say anything.

Tenchi cleared his throat. "He knew because he's too part of Iwa's Golden generation. Rin and myself were chuunin then so we don't technically count."

"Can you tell me about him now?" I asked but Rin-sensei put a stop to it before he could open his mouth.

"He'll tell you later. First we talk something else."

I tapped with my fingers on the table, hesitantly going back to my food.

"Why the Golden generation?" Tenchi asked as he got his food, breaking the silence.

"We were all very close. Sense of Iwa pride and comradeship was dominant and we began to have competitions between ourselves, striving to learn more and get stronger." Masaki recalled, leaning back with his hands crossed. "A lot of members were specialized Doton wielders so when we'd make plans to go train to the canyon outside of village, others would tag along; either focusing on their own jutsu or on learning Doton as their secondary chakra nature. When Iwa declared war, everyone was certain that there's no way we'll lose with such a tight-knit generation on our front lines."

"But Iwa lost." I said.

"Iwa lost before the war officially ended. As some members of the Golden generation inevitably got killed in battle, their loss prompted their teammates to seek revenge. That soon spiraled out of control, with whole families flocking out on the battlefield for the sake of getting revenge. Some clans don't exist nowadays because of it." He closed his eyes, gently shaking his head. Who knows how many friends he lost like that.

"That all escalated during the last year of war. People were tired and some were starting their own families and wanted the war to end. Onoki-dono was prepared to accept Konoha's proposal to cease fire, fully aware that our ranks have thinned and we lost a lot of fine shinobi already. But then the village elders interfered and tied his hands, coming up with an idea to send over a thousand shinobi to attack Konoha."

"You know how that went." Rin-sensei said. I never knew that wasn't actually Onoki's idea.

"So did everyone from that generation die?" I asked and though Tenchi firmly shook his head for no, Masaki didn't seem to agree with him.

"A lot of them died during war, some even years after it, like your father and Gari. Those of us that survived don't view ourselves as members anymore. Golden generation died with our friends."

"Kitsuchi's still alive, you know?" Tenchi muttered.

"Onoki-dono's plan was to step down as the Tsuchikage once the war is over, perhaps even give the title to someone from the Golden generation. That changed when the war ended with a thousand shinobi losing their lives. There was no one to give the title to." Masaki finished with a sigh.

"Why not give it to Kitsuchi?" I looked at Tenchi.

"He was never asked by Onoki-dono to be a Tsuchikage in the first place, though he mentioned he would've refused either way." He said with full mouth.

"So not only did he not have anyone to give the title to, but he didn't want to anymore? Is that what you're saying?" I asked and Rin-sensei leaned forward, crossing her hands on the table.

"We were certain that he'll continue to carry the title until he's unfit and is forcibly removed. The thing is, after the war he managed to completely shut down village elders' control, using his age and experience as a means to escape their influence on any major decision. Someone younger than him wouldn't be able to do the same. The fact that we suffered tremendous losses during the war only strengthened Onoki-dono's judgement that it'd be for the best if he remains as the Tsuchikage." No wonder he was never worried about village elders' approval or disapproval.

"There really was nothing that could've made him step down, even at this age he's the strongest shinobi in the village and could hold his own in a fight. However, if he gets killed before he chooses his successor, village elders will form a council and choose themselves. Onoki-dono wouldn't have that of course, he wanted to have a say in who gets to replace him. So, he decided to bring back the Golden generation." Tenchi waved his empty skewer around.

I furrowed my brows, reaching for another yakitori and finding my plate empty. I raised my hand in the air, signaling the patron without moving my eyes from the three of them. "How?"

"We began thinking that was Onoki-dono's plan ever since he made the decision that the Academy should primarily focus on Doton training, despite village elders shouting their protests. It was a bad attempt to recreate it. That idea never resulted with another Golden generation. And as years went by we all came to the conclusion that he must be waiting for Kurotsuchi to graduate the Academy so he can mentor her. You can then imagine our surprise when he came to your graduation and asked to be your team leader." Rin-sensei explained.

"That's why he kept insisting I master Doton." I muttered. "But why choose to be our team leader? Even Mu-sama told him to have his students earlier."

"There are two reasons for that." She said, raising two fingers in the air. "Think about how kage are chosen, Sayomi. Not just in Iwa's history, in other Nation's as well. Successors are either chosen based on blood relations, which is the case in Iwa's history as well as Kumo's and Konoha's, or based on mentorship; they are more often than not, students of the kage they then succeed. Example for that can be found in all Nation's. Of course, if there is an exceptionally powerful shinobi a kage can rely on, they can be chosen regardless of the other two factors. Mu-sama is an example of that. He was a powerful and reliable shinobi, but neither the student of the First nor of his kin."

My mind made the connection and my eyes widened. "So…Kurotsuchi and us…?" She and Tenchi nodded in unison, Masaki quietly observing the conversation.

"As I mentioned, we didn't know he was planning to become your mentor. The teams were made based on your scores, with your Academy sensei having a major vote because he knew your affinities. At the top of the Academy was-"

"Deidara. And I was at the bottom because my taijutsu and ninjutsu scores were the worst." With each sentence the story became clearer, so much I began to anticipate the rest of it. Turns out I really didn't know what was going on around me.

"Akatsuchi was too tame so your sensei thought the two of you could amp up his spirit, or that maybe he'll calm the two of you down. Nothing else was taken into consideration when your team was made. We checked it. Yet Onoki purposely chose the three of you."

"He knew Deidara wanted to be Tsuchikage way before he became our team leader." Way before we enrolled in the Academy even.

Rin-sensei gave me a smile. I caught on.

"Kurotsuchi wanted the kage seat but Onoki-dono wouldn't give it to her just because she's his granddaughter. He would make her grow as powerful as possible before he considers her as his replacement. But friction and clash are the best motivators for continuous advancing. If Kurotsuchi knows she has a competitor that's trained by her grandfather, she'll advance beyond her limits, because someone else will be setting the limit. And Deidara would have to take her seriously because of her connection to Onoki-dono."

Was it also because we knew Kurotsuchi ever since we were kids? There's no way that was staged too.

"And because you and Akatsuchi are in the same team, you'll have to advance just as much in order to keep up." That was true in my case especially.

"We didn't know why he chose the three of you. Or, at least, we couldn't agree with each other why. Until-" Tenchi pointed at Masaki and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me-"

"All four of you are children of the Golden generation members. Two with kekkei genkai native to Iwa. Onoki will work all four of you to death in order to see who shall be the next kage. So as soon as he chose you as his students, we all knew what was taking place. He's not leaving the kage title to fate, but to the Golden generation he'll force out of you." Rin-sensei finished.

I stared at them, tapping my chopsticks on the bowl.

The Golden generation story gave insight into Onoki's head but at the same time, I knew that he didn't make us do anything. He didn't force us to hang out with Kurotsuchi, he didn't speak about the Tsuchikage seat nor about our parents; he just let us be, only reminding us to be mindful of the teamwork and to get stronger for the sake of the village. So…how much of this was really planned and how much of it was just pure coincidence that played into Onoki's hand, I couldn't tell.

"So his plan was to watch us push each-other beyond our limits until he eventually gets four shinobi who could compete for the Tsuchikage seat?" I asked, accepting another plate of yakitori from Tenchi who couldn't hide his confusion about my large appetite. But these yakitori were divine and I was starving.

"That's not to say there weren't any issues. You weren't gifted for anything other than Shadow jutsu, which certainly wasn't an ability anyone from Golden generation had. So not only did that lead him to launch an investigation into your parents, he also had to call off Doton-exclusive training from the Academy."

"He openly admitted to village elders that they were right, which he wasn't thrilled about." Tenchi mentioned. And to think I almost didn't graduate the Academy because of that stupid 'Doton only' rule.

"When it was time for the Chuunin exams Onoki-dono decided to bite his tongue and invite Ishi shinobi to participate. Kitsuchi thought he finally lost his mind because he hates Ishikage's guts. But he wanted to make it harder for you. And then he also pushed Kurotsuchi's team into participation, even though her teammates were nowhere near Kurotsuchi's level. She basically carried them through two exams. All that because Onoki-dono wanted to make you all fight each other, going so far he rigged the final battle between Deidara and Kurotsuchi." My eyes widened.

"What?" How deep did this go?

"Ishikage found out that the last part of the exam was rigged and he abused that fact very effectively. He demanded that you three fight the Ishi team before the official fight schedule, he demanded all sorts of stuff actually, just to push Onoki-dono's buttons and make him show favoritism so he can call him out on it and cause a scandal. That's why the fights were closed off and why you didn't get an extra week to prepare. Onoki-dono wanted it over with so he can get rid of Ishikage as soon as possible." Tenchi exhaled. "I hated the Chuunin exams."

I was leaning on my arm, my eyes darting between the two of them, and all I could think was: 'Oh what the hell.'

"After the Chuunin exams he made a more concrete plan about each of you. He saw that Akatsuchi doesn't have any interest in the kage seat, so he stirred him to be a support of whoever gets chosen. He wanted you to become an Anbu and for Deidara to eventually take the position of Explosion Unit's leader. Those positions would've taught you how to handle missions and direct other people, going further to prepare you for the kage role. That's when the real training would've begun, where you'd be forced to develop other, non-fighting-related skills."

"Wait, wait, wait." I could imagine how our lives would've looked like hadn't we left and that kinda caught me off guard. It was weird to think about such a 'normal' future.

"How do you even know all this to be true? Are you sure that's what's been going on, or have you just been observing and drawing your own conclusions?" Masaki gave Rin-sensei a look and she waved her hands.

"It's a mixture of things. Kitsuchi and Tenchi are on high positions in the village's hierarchy so they know what's going on in Onoki-dono's head most of the time. Kitsuchi especially. Everything else is observed, but you cannot not observe it." She struggled with words.

"Onoki-dono never had students and then he chooses the three of you. You are the first team he sends on a mission outside of the village. Everything about the organization of Chuunin exams was unusual-" She counted those things on her fingers as Tenchi kept nodding, confirming her words.

"It was suspicious. Of course we'll think twice about it."

"Yeah but we were his students. Of course he'll talk about us or push us further than everyone else." The look on her face told me she doesn't know what else to say to convince me.

Tenchi simply shrugged. "I'd say the difference is that you're the students of the Third Tsuchikage."

It's not as if I didn't believe them, hell, a whole lot of stuff made sense and I could see them being connected. But was it really such big of a deal if he was pitting us against each-other to find a suitable successor? Surely other Nation's had their own internal competitions and nobody paid that much attention to it.

Though, maybe it was different with us because Onoki was old and didn't have a plan B.

"We were very much certain that the battle for the Tsuchikage seat will come down to Deidara and Kurotsuchi. That fell into water when Deidara took that kinjutsu and left the village. To add insult to injury, you left after him, and all of a sudden Onoki-dono was again left with Kurotsuchi as the sole contender." Tenchi continued.

"So we ruined his retirement plan." I said, making him laugh. "Rin was right to say that older jonin noticed all of these things happening and guessed what was the trigger for it. But Onoki-dono truly wanted to see all four of you become stronger than him. You were his students first, and a possible replacement second."

He stacked the dishes piled on the table. "He didn't seem to move from the window ever since Hokage sent him a notice about you two coming back." I raised my eyebrow. "Kitsuchi and myself walked in on him quite a few times, and each time he'd say that the Hokage is gullible and there's no way you're coming."

"You two leaving the village was a blow to him. To his whole plan, sure, but also to him as your sensei. I don't think you took that into consideration when you walked away." Rin-sensei carefully said and I swallowed my last piece of meat.

"He should've made a different decision then." I said.

They grew silent and for a moment the only thing I could hear in the air was sizzling coming from the grill.

"A shinobi can voice their opinion but ultimately won't go against their kage's orders." Masaki spoke after so long, observing me. "Deidara is a criminal because he stole a kinjutsu, but you are a traitor of a different kind."

I could feel their eyes on me but I concentrated on Masaki, observing his face. The look in his eyes made me wonder whether his statement was any serious. As if he was provoking me on purpose to see how will I react.

I formed many different and long-winded answers, in the end scraping all of them and settling on the shortest one.

"I didn't betray anyone I care for."

Masaki seemed amused by my answer, turning his head to Rin-sensei. "Must be a Konoha thing."

I rolled my eyes, catching Rin-sensei staring at me from the corner of her eye. I didn't get a chance to read her face because she turned to the end of the bench.

"Well that was all that I wanted to say to you." She said as she stood up. "I think you are mature enough to learn about certain things that have been going on in this village. So take out of this what you will."

She glanced at Tenchi. "You coming? You're late on your post."

"Uuh, right, well, it was nice talking to you. Now I better go or Kitsuchi will kill me." He waved at us as both of them left the restaurant.

I stared at the pile of dishes on the table, thinking about everything they just dumped on me. Also about Rin-sensei leaving so unexpectedly, her words not shedding any light on what she thought about all of this or what she hoped my reaction will be.

I sighed, turning my stare to Masaki. He was the reason I stayed on my seat. "Can you tell me about my father now?"

His eyes glistened. "We weren't especially close before the war began. I knew the same things about him as everyone else; like how he hates his surname and how versatile he was regarding the range of his jutsu."

"He hated his surname?" I raised my brow.

"Ishii sounds as if he has something to do with Ishiagakure. Part of me always wondered why he didn't take his wife's surname just for the sake of putting an end to Ishiagakure connection, but…it later made sense why he didn't do that." I smiled.

"We became acquainted during the war. He was a Captain of the Second Iwa Division and I fought under him a couple of times. He was a good Captain, always giving his all. That made people trust him and follow him." A faint smile left his lips, immediately being wiped out by his next sentence. "He suffered a great deal of loss during the war; his father, his aunt and uncle, his teammates from when he was genin – all claimed by the battlefield."

"He was one of the rare ones that didn't seek revenge for the losses he experienced, though he had every right to. That's not to say he didn't suffer. He often asked me what was all this war for, that he doesn't see the point in fighting anymore. Yet when you'd look at him in a fight, he'd go above and beyond in his missions and battles. Shinobi under him in the Division praised his bravery, but it was...how should I put it?...unhealthy. As if he didn't care what happens to him."

"He met my mother on one of those missions. At least, that's what the Anbu found out."

"I remember that day. Half of the Division was out doing reconnaissance with him when they crossed fire with Kiri and Konoha. Shinobi that were with him later told me he was badly wounded when he ordered them to retreat, though he didn't have the strength to keep up their pace. They returned without him and I think it was that cowardice that prevented them from proclaiming him dead. And then two days later, here he was, your mother by his side."

I had to smile at that. Badly wounded, huh? Good thing my mother was a medic nin.

"He survived the war and moved forward, something many didn't have the strength to. His attention shifted to you and your mother-"

"Do you remember anything about her?"

He looked up, wrinkles on his forehead becoming more outlined. "I remember she had a garden. That is a rare sight in Iwa." Bet she grew only medicinal herbs in it.

"Hayato was strong here." He pointed at his chest. "And here." He pointed at his head. "I can't begin to imagine how strong was the opponent that managed to kill him in the end, but I think he'd be glad you grew up without Ishii attached to your name." I laughed silently.

I was about to say my thanks and leave, when a thought crossed my mind and I lingered on my seat.

"Do you know anything about Deidara's parents?" Why did I ask that out of the blue, I don't know.

"I knew a person who did." I snapped my fingers. "Right, you mentioned Gari was a member of the Golden generation." He nodded.

"I don't know how much you know about the Explosion Unit and Bakuton, but the reason why we have an Explosion Unit in the first place is because Bakuton is tricky to employ in battle. So you go to the Explosion Unit to learn one of the two fighting styles that make use of Bakuton the best. One is the type Gari used; Bakuton paired up with taijutsu, a short-ranged fighting style. Deidara's father trained himself in the long-range type, pairing Bakuton with Doton. They enrolled in the Explosion Unit together, but because both of them focused on their respective styles, their friendship turned into a competition."

"Wait, so, did Gari know who Deidara was?" A smile creeped up his lips.

"He sat where you're sitting right now, downing sake after sake and repeating 'He's back, he's back, the kid looks just like him'. I never understood how he managed to forget that his lifelong rival had a child, but he did. Gari was like that." He shrugged.

I stifled my laughter. I bet Gari's face was priceless when Deidara walked in and called him an idiot.

"He told me Gari didn't like him." I said.

"That doesn't have anything to do with Deidara's father, but with the way Explosion Unit functions, and why they still don't have a good Leader. The most powerful user is chosen as the Leader, so if he uses Bakuton with taijutsu, members under him will focus on that type of fighting. Gari was the Leader when Deidara enrolled, but Deidara didn't want to learn his fighting style. I told Gari, 'well, maybe he's more fit to fight like his father', but Deidara wasn't interested in that either. Gari found that extremely disrespectful to the Explosion Unit's history and the memory of his rival. He told me that Deidara's creating a fighting style that cannot be copied, which is something Deidara's father did and Gari never forgave him for it."

"Cannot be copied?"

"Gari explained it to me one night when he got severely drunk. He could manipulate chakra on such a long range that he'd create waves of Bakuton traveling through the earth without dispersing. His jutsu was time consuming and difficult to control, but the waves would cause explosive earthquakes, taking down mountains when properly directed. Members of the Explosion Unit proclaimed him more powerful than Gari, but no one got close to replicating that jutsu. Gari thought he did that on purpose."

"So Gari became the Explosion Unit's leader after his rival passed away?" He nodded.

"He was a weird fellow. At times he'd proudly boast how his rival was someone worthy of the kage seat and how much he admired his type of fighting, and other times he'd hate everything about him. It often depended how drunk he was. Deidara didn't make his life any easier, but I think he actually hated how he couldn't bring himself to mentor him properly."

"And his mother? Did their rivalry go as deep as that?"

"Oh no, not her. She was one of the toughest shinobi I've ever met. A genjutsu expert out of everyone's league."

"You have to be joking." I blurted out and he furrowed his brows. "I'm not."

I put my hand over my eyes, my lips trembling with laughter. A genjutsu expert. A goddamn genjutsu expert.

"We're still not sure how exactly they died. His mother wasn't even supposed to be out on the battlefield at the time of her death. Later it was rumored that she somehow learned her husband got killed so she went to avenge him. No one can explain how she knew or how he got killed in the first place. Gari never brought their deaths up, regardless of how drunk he was. Did he actually know something or not, I don't know."

In the end it didn't matter. I just found it interesting how Gari never escaped his rival and how much Deidara proved him wrong. Explosion Unit gave him two choices and he decided to go his own way, coming up with a third fighting style that, albeit, only he could do, but that was more devastating than anything Explosion Unit taught.

"About the thing Rin and Tenchi shared with you." Masaki spoke. "Onoki-dono's involvement cannot be questioned regarding certain things. He has to be mindful of how he trains and chooses his successor, but putting all that aside…he didn't choose you because you were children of the Golden generation."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not the only ones whose parents were Golden generation members. The two of them seem to ignore that. Besides, each generation has one or a couple of 'golden' shinobi, ones that rise above everyone else. It just so happened there were plenty in mine."

"So it doesn't have anything to do with us being children of the Golden generation?"

"Was Onoki-dono pushing you more than the rest because you are his students? Yes. But was he trying to make your parents come out of you?" He shook his head. "No. Golden generation is dead. He knows that too."

"Well it doesn't matter anymore. Onoki's plan got ruined in the end." I stood up. "Thank you for telling me about my father." He reached for his book.

"You've grown a lot, Sayomi Nara." I smiled, exiting the restaurant.

You were wrong Shikaku. It seems even in Iwa I wasn't Sayomi Ishii.

* * *

 **Let me tell you how I majestically screwed myself over. As I was planning this story (roughly sketching it out is a better description) I would always come to the war arc and be like "oh yes then it's the war arc and then I'll blah blah blah" because why would war arc be complicated, right?**

 **Wrong. I was wrong. War arc is long and complicated and I severely underestimated that and now I'm trying to work through it but damn it's not easy.**

 **Just had to complain for a bit. I also didn't upload for three weeks AGAIN, and I'm so so sorry, but I cannot post a chapter if I'm not 100% satisfied with it, and often times I edit and re-edit a single chapter way too many times.**

 **Reviews or any kind of encouragement are welcomed (and kinda needed because finalsss) and I thank every single one of you kind souls that are still reading this, ilysm. See ya!**


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